Daria: College Pains
by James the Lesser
Summary: Daria is going to College, will life be like it was at Lawndale, or worse?  Just so you know, I don't read other FF's, so if anything sounds like another it is a coincidence and nothing more.
1. Chapter 1

**Daria: College Pains**

**Author James the Lesser/ The Bunny Man**

**This is Not Approved By the Makers Of Daria**

**This Is Not For Sale But Free For Anyone To **

**A/N **Since they are going to college, will have to bring OC in since the other students of _Lawndale High_ (done in a Ms. Li voice) are going to other schools, or staying. (Fashion Fiends, Kevin held back, Trent at home, so forth) Not sure how to make the new characters though, I don't want to make new Upchucks or new Kevin's/Brittany's or whatever. I want new college like students. Although my 2 month foray into college world before I dropped out showed that Daria isn't that far off from the real world. Don't worry, I quit because they weren't teaching me anything new and went with a cheaper online program to get my Associates Degree in Agronomy/Food Science

**Chapter 1 Moving Out**

Daria had just packed the last of her things in her new car, new to her anyways. The Tracker was a graduation present paid for by the college fund her parents had raised over the years. With her scholarship though she didn't need it to pay for college so her parents bought a used car with part of it and put the rest into her own bank account. "I wonder if they will allow me to put padding on the walls in my dorm room."

"What was that Daria?"

"Nothing Mom." Daria closed the back door of the Tracker. "I guess I'm ready Mom."

"Oh Daria you don't have to leave now, you could wait until tomorrow." Helen wringed her hands together laughing nervously.

"I want to get there as soon as possible so I can get use to the campus. My first tour wasn't exactly extensive." Remembering the tour of Raft with Tom Daria went over to Helen. "Don't worry Mom I will call when I get there unless Quinn is tying up the line with her friends."

"Don't worry Daria I will make sure no one uses the phone until you call." Helen stopped wringing her hands when Daria got closer.

"Don't worry Mom Boston isn't that far away. I could come back for Thanksgiving and Christmas and maybe a weekend or two. Make sure you haven't sold Quinn to the circus and make sure Dad hasn't had another heart attack from reading Quinn's shopping bill." Daria did a half smile at her mother opening her arms. "I will make sure I call Mom." Helen hugged Daria back not wanting to let her girl go. Daria pulled away after a minute and went to her car. "I'm going to Jane's first so if something important comes up in the next five minutes you can call there." Daria gets into her car. "Bye Mom."

"Bye Daria." Daria pulls out of the driveway and heads towards Jane's. Helen goes inside before she starts crying. Helen was use to having Daria around and now she was going away for college. Her little girl was becoming an adult, or at least her age was going to match her brain. Daria had always been an adult even when she was young which did cause problems but Helen still loved her daughter even after all the trips to the principals office.

Daria got to Jane's house a few minutes later going up to the door. Before she could knock the door flew open and Jane threw her arms around Daria. "Whoa Jane what's going on?"

"You are Daria. You are leaving into the big wide world." Jane let Daria in trying to hide her face.

"Boston isn't that far away Jane and you will be going to BFAC in January, so it's not like I'm leaving forever."

"But what will I do until then? Everyone will be gone soon for whatever college they got into." Jane opened her arms in surrender.

"Well Jane you think this is going to be easy for me too? You are my best friend, really my only friend. Sure I talked to Jodie and Mack, or Tom, but you were always there for me. I am going to miss you Jane, but that's what phones and the internet are for. Besides if you get really bored I'm sure Kevin could keep you company. I heard he's looking for a girlfriend now that Brittany left for college yesterday." Jane turned the TV on flipping through the channels.

"I'm not that desperate. Trent said he was going to say bye but since you are leaving before noon I will just have to give you a hug for him."

"Well you already gave me a hug so guess you did your part." Daria stood up going to the kitchen. "Is it still safe to drink the water here?" Daria filled her glass up and went back to the living room. "Jane, I have to leave soon…" Jane got up and went to Daria hugging her again.

"I know Daria but don't forget the people who supported you before you became a big famous author."

"As long as you don't forget who supported you before you became a big famous artist." Daria hugged Jane back.

"Well Daria call me when you get there alright? It's a long drive; remember what happened when you tried driving to the Cove a few months ago?" Daria nodded remembering her little incident. At least her first car accident wasn't that big a deal, just spun off onto the shoulder. "Make sure you make another friend when you get there Ms. Morgendorffer. You will have a roommate, at least be on better terms with her then you are with Quinn." Jane hugged Daria again, hard, not wanting to let her best friend go.

"Alright Jane I will call you when I get there. After I call my Mom, already told her I would call her when I got there. I swear make me think I am going to Jupiter or something."

"Well you are going to New England. Although not sure what is so new about it, it lost that 'New Country Scent' a long time ago." Jane showed Daria the door waving Daria off on her trip to Boston.

Daria arrived nearly eight hours later on the campus of Raft. Only a week until classes started and it was already busy. Daria tried finding her dorm getting lost on the campus. If she had had a real tour before she might have known where she was going. Daria finally got tired of walking around and stopped another student. "Where are the dorm rooms for Freshmen?"

"What numbers?" The girl spoke with a high pitched squeak reminiscent of a certain blonde cheerleader Daria knew.

"Uh, 217?" Daria got out her paper making sure that was the right number. "217, Dorm Building C." She showed the girl

"Uh _that_ building is over _there_, I think. I was there last _year_." Her squeaking was getting on Daria's nerves.

"Thanks." Daria took her paper back and walked towards where the girl pointed. She had passed the building twice without knowing it. Maybe she should have realized a sign saying "Dorm C" was a clue. Walking in she went up the stairs until she got to a door saying '156-234' and went in. Walking down the hall way she counted the doors, not that she had to since they had the numbers on them, until she got to room 217. Daria knocked on the door in case her roommate had already gotten there. The door opened before Daria could get her key out and saw a smiling redhead who then asked if she was her roommate. "If this is 217 then yes I am, could I come in?" The redhead let her in.

"I'm Lindsey, nice to meet you…" She stuck a hand out waiting for Daria to respond.

"Daria, nice to meet you too." Daria didn't shake her hand as she looked around the room. "Where's my bedroom?"

"Well I put some of my things in that room." She points towards a door. "But if you want it you can have it, I was just looking for a place to put them."

"It's ok I'll take whatever is left." Daria went to a second door which opened up to a small bathroom, sink, toilet, and shower stall. She closed it and went to the last door, her new room. It was smaller then her room back home but only had one window, a plus to Daria. The bed was smaller then her old one too, but there would be enough room for all the things Daria brought with her. Now she just needed to go back and get her things and drag them through the campus and up the stairs. Closing her door she turned around and ran into her new roommate.

"Sorry I was just wondering if your room was different from mine. I was so busy moving all my things in I didn't look. I've never had a sister before, or a brother, just me and my mom, what about you?"

"I have a sister, my parents, don't get too excited. We have to share a bathroom which you aren't use to are you?" She shook her head. "How much time do you usually spend in the bathroom?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I never kept track of that. I didn't really need to. I promise I won't spend too much time in there Dareha."

"It's Daria."

"Sorry." She walked away to the first room, the 'living room' if you could call an 8x12 square with a sink a living room and grabbed some more bags to carry into her room.

"Lindsey, if I help you with your things can you help me with mine? That way it is only one trip instead of two?"

"Sure! Why don't your parents help you?"

"I came here on my own."

"Oh, you can drive? Cool! My mom let me get my license but we didn't have the money for another…" She stopped there and continued grabbing countless bags and taking them into her room. "I may have brought too much, Daria could I put some in your room until I get it put away?" Daria nodded not caring grabbing the last two small bags and taking them to her room. "Thanks Daria."

Half an hour later they had dragged Daria's suitcase and duffle bags into her room. "Thanks Lindsey." Daria opened her suitcase getting her toothbrush and other bathroom essentials out. "Is it ok if I take a shower now? I had a long drive and want to get to bed soon." Lindsey nodded and went to her room to put her clothes and other things away.

Daria had to get use to a tiny shower stall compared to the bathtub/shower at home getting the sweat from the drive and carrying her stuff off. Getting out she put clean clothes on and started to go to her room. "Daria?" She stopped. "I didn't want to go into your room without your permission; could I get my things out from there?" Daria let her get the few bags out.

Daria lay down on her new bed, smaller, but not as lumpy, as her old bed. The ceiling was new too; something to look at since she hadn't brought a TV and her radio was still in her suitcase. She sat up remembering her promise to her Mom and Jane. "Lindsey, do we have a phone?"

"Yes, it's in the living room."

Daria ran out of her room and quickly called her house. The phone rang a few times before someone picked it up.

"Jamie? I can't talk now have to wait for my sister to call. I know it is so unfair like us popular people…"

Her sister had answered the phone. "No Quinn, where's Mom?"

"Oh hi Daria, I'll get Mom." Daria could hear Quinn yell "Mo-om" and then the phone clicked.

"Daria? I was so worried, are you ok? Why did it take you so long? Did you make it? You're not in the hospital are you? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Mom calm down. I wanted to get my things in and a shower first." Not to mention she had forgotten. "Just letting you know I made it and everything is fine."

"Ok Daria, did you meet your roommate yet?"

"Yes Mom, He's really nice."

"What!? He!? Daria you can't be serious!"

"Don't worry Mom I told him he can't sleep in my bed, it's too small."

"Very funny Daria making your Mother worry like that. Try to be nice to her alright? I know you and Quinn aren't the closest but think of her as a new sister."

"So I'm allowed to hit her when she annoys me?"

"Daria you know what I mean. Are you sure you will be alright? You can unpack your things and come back home."

"Yes Mom I need to go now and help my roomy ok?"

"Alright Daria, love you."

"Love you too Mom." Daria put the phone down and dialed Jane's number. The phone rang again and again but no one answered. "She must be busy, or asleep, probably out running." Daria put the phone back down and went to Lindsey's room. "Need any help?" She did tell her Mom she was going to help her roomy.

"No thanks Daria. I just need more places to put my pictures." Daria looked around the room and saw dozens of pictures already set up.

"Wow, you taking photography or something?" Lindsey nodded. Daria looked at some of the pictures seeing cats, an older man, an older woman, some pictures lightning, most very well done. "These are really good, who are they?" Daria pointed to a picture with two cats curled up together.

"Those are Hannah and Keogh, my kitties. I couldn't take them with me so I made sure I took as many pictures of them as possible. They are sisters, I think. They were in the same box when I found them on the side of the road." Daria looked over some others. "Do you have any pets?"

"No. Who's this?" She pointed to a picture of the older man and woman hugging.

"My mom and dad when they were still…" She stopped and grabbed the picture out of Daria's hand. Daria figured she had done enough and went back to her bedroom. It was barley ten o'clock but she needed to sleep. The long drive took a lot out of her and now she just needed to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 Day Late**

Daria woke up early to the sound of music. It wasn't bad but wasn't what she normally listened to. She got up and rubbed her eyes. Looking around she thought she was lost until she remembered she had moved here. Getting use to a new room might take longer then Daria thought. Daria went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth in the small cramped bathroom. Getting done she walked out and ran into a sleepy Lindsey. "Sorry Lindsey." Daria helped her up off the floor.

"It's ok mom. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be at work?" Lindsey yawned hitting Daria with a full blast of morning breath.

"Wake up Lindsey." Daria went around Lindsey to get out of the range of her morning breath. Lindsey rubbed her eyes shaking her head.

"What? Oh, Daria, sorry." Daria wanted to correct her but stopped figuring it was to early for that. Going back to her room she could still hear the music playing. Daria got dressed and decided to wait for Lindsey to finish in the bathroom before going out. She heard the shower going so went out to the living room to get a drink of water. The sink worked, but no glasses. No fridge or microwave either, things Daria would have to buy with her college fund money. She looked for a remote for the TV before she found no TV.

"I guess this is what I get for not making it into Bromwell." Daria went back to her room to get a pen and piece of paper to make a list of things to buy. When she finished she heard the shower turn off and decided to see if there was anything Lindsey needed. Knocking on the door she could here a blow dryer going. Daria knocked harder trying to get Lindsey's attention.

"What?" The blow dryer turned off.

"I'm making a list of things we need. I have TV, Microwave, Refrigerator, and either a couch or two chairs. Anything you can think of?"

"No Daria. Do you have enough for all that? We could just go and eat in the cafeteria."

"Think about it, you buy food over time from the cafeteria or buy a fridge and a microwave, you save money with cooking your own food since it doesn't cost five dollars for a sandwich or a can of soda. I'll pay for everything then tell you what your half is."

"What if I don't want a refrigerator or microwave? I don't want you buying them if I'm not going to use them. It costs too much."

"I'm going into Boston; they have to have a pawn shop or something where I can get them cheap. If I get a mini fridge and a small TV I should be able to keep it under a thousand."

"No. If you want to spend your money on those things go ahead but I will only pay for half the TV or a chair, and make sure you don't spend too much on them _Miss Money Bags_." Lindsey said the last part in a harsh voice.

"Fine." Things were not going well this morning. Daria left the dorm building and walked through the campus. It was nice out, a little chilly, but nice enough. Daria got to her car and headed out for Boston. She had never been in Boston, closest was on her trip with Tom, but figured it couldn't be that bad. She drove the five minutes it took to get to Boston then started to look for stores. Dega Street had everything back in Lawndale, but Boston was so much bigger. Daria drove around for almost an hour before finding a Pawn Shop. She walked in and started looking for the things on her list.

"Miss you need any help?" The man must have been a Boston native, his speech impediment, or Boston Accent, gave him away.

"Uh I am looking for a few things I need." She read off her list and the guy pointed out most of the items she asked for.

"Let's see, small fridge, 27" TV, and two lawn chairs, that will be $187.00." Daria got her bank card out and handed it over. "You one of them college girls isn't you? Which one you going to?" He handed the card back to her and a receipt. "No reason to give you that, no refunds. If you feel like selling 'em back you can but no refunds."

"Raft. I would like the receipt though; me and my roommate are splitting the cost and need it so she knows what she owes." Daria loaded the fridge, then the TV, then the lawn chairs. Going back into the Pawn Shop one last time she asked about a microwave.

"Sorry but we don't get them, not that I would want one used, seen the things people stick in 'em? Saw one that had a Peep blown up inside made the place smell like burnt sugar for a week."

"Know a place I can buy one?" Daria stuck the receipt in her pocket.

"Well you go down that way past the light then take a right at the Goodware Store then drive till you get to Homeward Hardware. They should sell 'em." Daria left the store and got into the Tracker. Following the directions she got the microwave and headed back to Raft. Driving around Boston for a bit after getting lost she found her way and got back before lunch. Daria grabbed the lawn chairs and went to the dorm room. Daria had forgotten her keys so had to knock on the door and wait for Lindsey to open it.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, I forgot my key, can you open the door?"

Lindsey did and Daria handed her a lawn chair. "There you go, a seat. I have the other things back in my Tracker, could you help me with the fridge and TV? They are kind of heavy." Lindsey set her lawn chair down then crossed her arms.

"How much do I owe? I don't have that much on me right now."

"Well since you only want to pay for the chair and half the TV you owe $65.00." Daria sat her chair down and led Lindsey to her car. "Just grab that end of the TV and I'll get this end. If you need to take a break tell me so we can set it down. I'm not in a hurry and this TV is heavy."

"You couldn't have gotten a smaller TV? Had to go with a monster one?" Lindsey and Daria carried it back only needing one break. "Well do you want it in the living room or your room?"

"The living room. You are paying for half of it so you should be able to use it when you want."

"But why did you have to get such a big TV? Weren't there any smaller, less expensive TVs?"

"There was a 15" one but I didn't want to waste my money on a paperweight."

"So you are wasting mine on that one."

"Look Lindsey I don't see what the big deal is. I got lawn chairs to keep the cost down and even if you aren't going to pay for them you can use the microwave and refrigerator." Lindsey sat the TV down.

"I don't need your charity Miss Money Bags." Lindsey went to her room and slammed the door shut.

"What the hell was that about?" Dari pushed the TV against a wall plugging it into the nearest outlet. Setting her lawn chair up Daria turned the TV on. Flipping through the channels to see what kind of reception the TV got she found Sick Sad World.

"_Catholic Priests and Boy Scouts end up on the same cruise ship, Improper Love Boat next on Sick Sad World."_

"Repeat." Daria turned off the TV lying back in the lawn chair. It was cheap but comfortable enough. Daria got up and went over to the phone calling Jane.

"Hello?" It was Trent.

"It's only 2pm, what are you doing up?"

"Practice started late, or early, whatever. Jesse kept us practicing until we got his song done, Workaholic."

"Ok, is Jane there?"

"Yeah. Do you know who Andrea is?"

"Uh yeah, she was the goth chick we went to school with. Why?"

"She called last night and then Jane left. Didn't know you were friends with her."

"Uh not really, just someone we knew from school. Can you get Jane on the phone Trent?" Daria heard the phone move and then Trent calling for Jane. A few seconds later she heard her best friends' voice.

"Yo."

"Hi Jane, sorry I didn't call you yesterday. Well, I did but no one answered."

"Sorry about that Daria, Andrea came over and we went out to one of her friends gig." Daria heard weird noises. "Oh Andrea says 'Tell Daria I said Hi for me."

"She's there?"

"No I am talking to her with my jedi mind tricks."

"Ok Jane, besides making a new best friend how is everything else?"

"Daria you've been gone for less then a day, do you miss Lawndale? Aww..." Daria heard two voices on the last part,

"Yes I just miss everything about it. From the dictator at school to the Fashion Fiends and of course that hunk Kevin." Daria heard some laughing. "What?"

"Speaking of dictators and Kevin, Ms. Li is in trouble. It appears Ms. Li was rigging Kevin's grades to make him eligible for Football and then rigged them to keep him back a year so she could keep Kevin playing for the _Lawndale Lions_. Her defense is she didn't rig the grades to keep him behind he did that on his own. We believe her right Andrea?" Daria heard more laughing.

"Well I could see it. If Ms. Li is found guilty does Kevin graduate? Or do they keep him to play for Lawndale Lions then graduate him when the football season is over?" Daria heard Jane telling Andrea what she just said.

"Have you met your roommate yet Daria?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

"Right now she is in her room mad at me for buying a microwave and refrigerator. Why I'm not sure since I told her she didn't have to pay anything for them, just half for the TV and one of the chairs."

"Strange." Daria heard mumbling through the phone. "Andrea wants to know if you said anything to her to make her mad. You have to realize Daria that she is smart enough to go to college so she will know when you are being sarcastic unlike our good friends Kevin and Brittany."

"I didn't say anything Jane she just got mad and went to her room. Now I have a microwave and refrigerator I need to get across campus from the parking lot and up the stairs and down the hall by myself."

"Why not use your womanly charms and get a guy to do it for you?"

"I sold those to Upchuck. Maybe I can get help, at least with the refrigerator. The microwave I can carry by myself. If I act like a senior maybe I can get some sorority pledge to do it for me."

"Now you're thinking Daria." Daria heard more laughing then some screaming that sounded like 'tickle war'. "Are you ok Jane?" A few seconds later Daria heard an out of breath Jane.

"Yeah just Andrea found my ticklish spot."

"That's strange. I didn't know you two were such good friends."

"Don't worry you'll always be number one in my book. Well, number four, the first three are Pizza King, Arts and Crass, and some number I don't remember. I started talking to her when you and Tom were, you know, first getting together and I wanted to force feed you my paint."

"Oh sorry. Well I need to get my other things in and should probably unpack the stuff I didn't, bye Jane." Daria heard Jane talk to Andrea. "Hey I didn't say bye to her."

"Did too Ms. Morgendorffer, you just forgot you said it. Bye Daria." The phone clicked and Daria set her phone down. Daria heard a door open and looked over to see Lindsey walk out with a tear stained shirt.

"Look Lindsey I'm sorry for whatever it was I said." Lindsey shook her head and sat down on the floor.

"I'm sorry Daria I shouldn't have yelled at you. I am acting like such an idiot and took it out on you, here." Lindsey handed Daria $75.00. "For the TV and the chair, if you want I could pay my part for the other things." Daria shook her head and put the money in her pocket.

"Hey you told me not to buy them and I did anyways so don't worry about it. You feeling homesick, it's ok if you are I have to admit I already miss my friend and parts of Lawndale, maybe a family member or two." Daria tried to smile to show no hard feelings but failed, smiling wasn't her thing.

"I guess I haven't been away from my mom or my kitties before. I thought the pictures would help…" She stopped.

"Well you can call them if you want, your mother anyways." Daria picked up the phone and tried handing it to Lindsey.

"It's ok I need to get use to this right?" Lindsey stood up going to her room to change her shirt. Coming back out Lindsey had a smile on her face and rubbed her hands together. "Now we have what, the fridge and the microwave to get right?"

Halfway back to the dorm building Daria and Lindsey were taking another break. Daria had help from the store owner to load the fridge and hoped it wouldn't be too hard with Lindsey helping but found it worse then she thought it would be. With the microwave on top Daria had hoped to make it in one trip. "You need any help?" Daria turned around seeing a rather large guy walk towards them.

"Mental, physical, or emotional?"

"Well we'll start with physical. I can help carry those if you show me where to go." Lindsey accepted the guy's help before Daria could say anything. "Ok here goes nothing." The guy picked up the fridge and put it on one shoulder then picked up the microwave and put it on the other. "Not that heavy, can't even be 300lbs altogether." He smiled at the both of them and followed. Getting to the door of the dorm building the guy handed Lindsey the microwave so he could fit through the door after repositioning the refrigerator. "Please tell me this is your floor." Lindsey went up the stairs as the guy followed until they got to the door leading to their floor. Following behind the guy carried the refrigerator the rest of the way setting it down with ease. Lindsey shook the guy's hand thanking him for the help. "No problem have to put this body to good use somehow, the names Skaz." Daria raised an eyebrow not shaking his extended hand. "It's not my real name but it sucks so I go by Skaz." He put his hand down when Daria still didn't shake it. Lindsey opened the door so Skaz could carry the fridge inside.

"Thanks again Skaz, my name's Lindsey, this is my roomy Daria." Skaz looked around the apartment.

"Hey your living room is bigger then mine that is so unfair." Lindsey chuckled at the joke.

"What grade are you in Skaz?"

"Freshman I'm guessing you are too." Lindsey nodded putting the microwave on a shelf. "Nice meeting you two but I need to go and do, uh, something." Skaz left quickly closing the door behind him.

"He was nice wasn't he Daria?" Lindsey plugged the refrigerator in then pushed against it to try and make it go up against the wall. "Maybe we should have asked him to stay a little longer." Daria went up and pushed the refrigerator back into the wall.

"No we shouldn't have. We could have done this ourselves, didn't need him to show off like that."

"Oh come on Daria he was just being nice, if he hadn't helped us we would still be out there trying to lug the fridge to the building let alone getting it up the stairs." Lindsey opened it up looking inside an empty fridge reminding Daria of Jane's refrigerator. "I think we need some food and drinks to put in here. Since you paid for this I could buy the food and stuff this time Daria. You'll need to drive me though since I don't know what you like." Daria and Lindsey left the dorm room to get some food and drinks to fill their new refrigerator.

An hour later the two got back and loaded their groceries into the refrigerator. "I can't believe food is so expensive here, back in Lawndale Phiz Cola is only $3.00 for a twelve pack." Daria put away the non-brand cola Lindsey told her to get.

"That stuffs good but Quick Mart Cola is so much cheaper. May not taste as good but you get what you can afford." Lindsey put the groceries in her bag away after Daria put her bag away. "I'll have to teach you how to shop smart Daria, yes you may not be eating brand name foods but you'll have more money at the end of the week…" Lindsey stopped talking and closed the refrigerator door.

"I have to unpack the rest of my things ok Lindsey? If you need something just yell or something." Lindsey nodded opening her can of Quick Mart Cola and handing another to Daria. "Thanks." Daria opened it and took a sip, wasn't that bad, but wasn't that good either. Maybe she should have gone grocery shopping with her dad before she left, the price of food she took for granted was more then she imagined, a lesson she learned one day too late.

A/N You'll notice I made some references to the show, like a store called Arts and Crass, or Jane talking about the time she 'wanted to force feed you paint" because of Daria and Tom. Also, when I have the Lawndale Lions in italics it is because Jane is doing it in the voice of Ms. Li. I just love how she says it, just puts that emphasis on Lawndale, anyways… ENJOY!!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Eating Out**

Daria got up later than she wanted after hitting her clock several times. She was trying to get up early so she would be use to it when school started. She walked out of her room with her sleep shirt on. "Oh, that's Mark Twain right? Or Samuel Clemons, that was his real name right?" Skaz was in the dorm room.

"Eep!" Daria pulled the shirt down even though it already covered everything important running back to her room.

"Daria don't be like that I ran into Skaz and invited him back here." Lindsey knocked on Daria's door before entering.

"Did I say you could come in? You could have warned me there was a guy here!" Daria put on a pair of jeans then her glasses so she could see where Lindsey was before she started yelling at a wall or something else that would look stupid.

"Well how would I have done that? I'm not psychic or telepath, whatever that is called. Sorry." Lindsey looked down at her feet looking like a puppy after it just got yelled at for chewing on something.

"Sorry Lindsey I'm just not use to strange guys seeing me this early in the morning, or in my sleep shirt."

"Morning? It's nearly Noon Daria I thought you were up and just avoiding talking to Skaz." Lindsey did have a point, it was almost noon and not being a Lane should have been up earlier. Now that Daria thought about it Trent had seen her in her dress shirt that one time and he didn't say anything rude. Of course Trent may not have been awake enough to have noticed what she was wearing. Daria kept her sleep shirt on for now not wanting to put anything clean on before getting a shower. Following Lindsey out Daria saw Skaz sitting on the floor in between the two chairs.

"You could sit in a chair if you wanted to."

"Naw, there are two chairs and the two of you so I sit on the floor." He turned back to the TV which had the news on. "Well would you look at that, poor black guy arrested, poor black guy arrested, white guy let go because he's white and rich, go figure."

"You're watching the news? It's so depressing." Lindsey sat in a chair picking up the remote.

"Well sometimes they have video of riots or car chases, one time had a tank going down the highway out in California, now that was a sight to see." Daria's ears perked up when she heard the word 'tank' but knew he meant a real one, not Trent's Tank.

"But they have nice things on like Orca or Pasturama, that show is funny." Lindsey flipped the channels until she got to Orca. The large Hispanic woman was having her 'Book of the Week' segment going.

"Ever watch Sick Sad World?"

"Ew." Lindsey stuck her tongue out. "That show is so disgusting; they had a show on rats and drugs, so ew." Skaz on the other hand had a different view on the show.

"They have some good episodes, like Improper Love Boat or the one with the guy who was blind and deaf yet nailed a bunch of royalty members. Of course one would have to be blind to even think about doing the bed sheet tango with any of those people. I don't get it, Marie Antoinette was supposed to be a real beauty yet nowadays the royal families all look like what they are, blue blooded inbred spoiled brats."

"Gee Skaz tell us how you really feel." Daria sat down in her lawn chair after moving it away from Skaz. Skaz started to poke his arm with a finger.

"I feel pretty smooth actually." He laughed getting Lindsey to laugh with him. "Sorry if I scared you earlier Daria, I know I wouldn't want to see me when I first wake up in the afternoon." He smiled at Daria trying to get a laugh out of her.

"It's ok just maybe next time Lindsey could warn me there was a guy here before I go out in my sleep shirt."

"Yeah Lindsey, why didn't you use your third sense to warn Daria I was here?" He made a funny face at Lindsey who did laugh.

"Well what now Lindsey? Since Daria's up maybe we can go out to eat?" Skaz looked over at Daria.

"Maybe, let me get a shower and stuff." Daria yawned and walked away. Skaz stood up then shook Lindsey's hand.

"I'll be back in like five minutes alright, going to get my wallet and stuff." Lindsey let Skaz out locking the door behind him.

"Why do you do that? He said he would be back in a few minutes." Daria was just getting out of her room with clean clothes in her arms.

"Well my mom and I always locked the door where we lived, kind of had to…" Lindsey stopped talking again. Daria went into the bathroom and took her shower. When she was done she put the clean clothes on and got out of the bathroom to see Skaz and Lindsey in the living room watching TV. "And he's the beer drinking dinosaur, he is friends with the guy from the future when he isn't stealing his wallet." Lindsey was explaining the characters on the show they were watching, Pasturama.

"Well are you two ready?" Daria made sure she had money in her wallet putting it back in her pocket.

"Why you have your wallet? You're coming with us right? I'm a man, I pay. Also get to show off my modified truck."

"I can pay for myself thank you very much." Daria gave a stern look at Skaz putting her keys away. She might not let him pay for her but hey, if he wanted to waste his gas then she was going to let him.

"Well then ladies follow me." Except Skaz opened the door and let them leave first. When Skaz closed the door Lindsey turned around quickly and locked the door with her set of keys. Now leading them the three went out into the parking lot finding a large bright neon orange truck with something strange in the bed of the truck.

"What's that?" Lindsey pointed it out.

"The battery, I modified my truck so I get over forty miles to the gallon. Has saved me hundreds in gas, of course it cost over a thousand dollars to do what I did to it but was well worth it."

"How? You must really know cars to do that." Skaz opened the passenger door letting the two girls in.

"It was simple if you know what to do, or have an instruction manual telling you how to do it. The guy who started this gets over eighty miles to a gallon, he drives one of those Japanese plastic cars though. But hey if you get bored and have a couple hours on your hands I could give you the manual." Skaz closed the door behind them walking around to his door.

"Are you sure we can trust him? He might be a serial killer who kills women for their skins. Put the lotion on or you don't get the water."

"Ew Daria, I'm sure we can trust him, you get an instinct for this when you grow up where I did." Skaz opened his door and got in.

"Put your seat belts on or we don't go anywhere." Daria pulled on hers to show it was on while Lindsey quickly got hers on. "Ok I don't know Boston very well but being a city is probably expensive as all get out. We're going to Reno, about five miles that way." He pointed towards the windshield.

Daria sat in the back seat looking around the truck nervously. She went to make sure Lindsey would be ok but Skaz was a lot bigger and stronger then the both of them. Her boots could do some damage if she needed to do it but so far Skaz seemed like a nice guy. A few minutes later they were on a street that reminded Daria of Dega Street. "So what do you all want?"

"Whatever you want Skaz, you're paying." Lindsey looked out the window at the different stores and restaurants.

"How about pizza?" Daria pointed out a Pizza King from the back seat.

"Ok fine with me." He pulled into the parking lot letting the girls get out before locking the doors and getting out himself. Skaz opened the door for the girls and let them pick where to sit. "You two allergic to anything because I usually go with everything on my pizza, except sardines, those are evil."

"Uh I'll just get a slice." Lindsey wringed her hands together looking around nervously as though expecting something to pop up or something.

"Same here." Daria looked around herself comparing this Pizza King to the one at Lawndale.

"If you say so, I need a good breakfast though. What do you want on your slice?"

"Just cheese." Lindsey slumped down in her seat.

"Pepperoni on mine." Skaz got up and went to the counter to order the food. "What's the matter Lindsey? You are acting a little strange, I think. Do you always act like this when you go outside?"

"I just feel awkward having Skaz pay for my food. I shouldn't have asked him to, I could have paid for it." Lindsey sat up a little bit looking over at Skaz who was standing waiting for the food.

"Hey if he wants to pay for you let him, it's his money to spend." Daria was starting to get hungry now that she could smell the food.

"But it's embarrassing having him paying for me. I don't need him to, I could afford it, I swear I could." Lindsey started playing with a salt shaker trying to distract her mind from her surroundings.

"Then pay for it, I'm paying for mine." Daria was getting annoyed by Lindsey and her muttering. "She needs to grow a backbone." Daria thought to herself. A few minutes later Skaz came back with their slices then went back to the counter to get his. Sitting down with his loaded slices he looked for the salt shaker.

"Oh here, sorry." Lindsey handed Skaz the salt shaker.

"No problem." He covered his slices in salt then in pepper. "Well eat up I guess, this is the breakfast of colleges all over the country." Skaz took a big bite of a slice. Lindsey played with her slice before taking a bite, Daria just sighed and started to eat her pizza. A few minutes later Daria finished her slice and waited for Lindsey who was still playing with her pizza only haven eaten about half of it while Skaz started in on his second slice.

"Well that was good." Daria got up and went to the counter to get a drink. Getting her drink she went back to a Skaz and Lindsey who were talking to each other forgetting the food in front of them. "Sorry to interrupt but wondered if you wanted something to drink." Skaz waved her off taking the break in conversation to get another bite of food. Lindsey shook her head took another bite of her pizza before talking to Skaz about what subjects she was taking.

"I was going to major in biology but that class was so much harder to get into and Cosmetology could get me more money if I get into the right salon so I went with that. I wanted to try out history too but there really isn't a job you can get that makes money with a degree in history." She stopped to take another bite letting Skaz take over.

"Well I was going to major in history but figured out the same thing you did. I went with economics instead since there are so many jobs out there for that. You know, doesn't matter what degree you have if there are no job openings for it although my other field of study would get me a job at a museum when I got old enough to wear diapers without looking out of place." Lindsey started to laugh nearly choking on her pizza. "What are you taking Daria?"

"Creative writing." Daria went back to her drink ignoring the other two.

"Wow I like to read, could I read any of your work? Or do you have any?" Skaz finished his pizza waiting for Daria to reply.

"No." Daria finished the rest of her drink quickly while Lindsey finished off the crust of her pizza. "How much do I owe you Skaz?"

"Nothing, I said I would pay for you."

"No you are not Skaz I am paying for myself; I don't need you to pay for me."

"Who cares about need? It's the man's job to pay for ladies when he takes them out to eat."

Daria got her wallet out and handed Skaz five dollars. "What makes you think I'm a lady?"

"It'd be rude to assume you weren't." Skaz tried to hand the money back but Daria wouldn't take it back. "Fine I'll keep it but it was only $2.19."

"Doesn't matter use the rest to pay for the gas." Daria stood up letting Lindsey out going to the door before Skaz could get there and open it for them. "By the way, what's your real name Skaz?"

"It's a stupid name." He walked over to his truck unlocking the passenger door and letting the two in.

"Come on Skaz what's your real name? I'll take the five bucks back if you tell me." Daria stood outside the door waiting for the answer.

"Alright fine, my name is Alexandrian, happy now?" Skaz handed Daria the money back before going to the driver side door and getting in.

"What's wrong with Alexandrian? It's a nice sounding name, Alexandrian." Lindsey got her seat belt on saying 'Alexandrian'.

"It's to long, five syllables is three to many. Also gets annoying when people keep asking you if it's ok to call you Alex. I'm not an Alex; Alex is a male and female name, like Dana or Quinn." Daria nearly choked on her tongue when she heard the word 'Quinn'. "So I made up Skaz to keep people from calling me Alex."

"Alright Skaz, thanks for the food again, is it ok if I listen to the radio?" Skaz nodded so Lindsey turned the radio on and looked through the stations until she got to a station playing some techno music. "Alright they do have a station out here for me!" Lindsey started to bob her head to the music annoying Daria. This was the music she heard when she woke up yesterday, that didn't sound so bad when she could only hear the beat.

"I have a headache Lindsey could you turn that off?" Lindsey turned the radio off quickly apologizing to Daria. "It's ok you didn't know." Daria was starting to regret coming out that day and wished her alarm never went off.

"Well it was nice hanging out and all but when we get back I need to get to my room to make sure my roommate is still alive." Skaz pulled into the parking lot of Raft. "He sleeps so much a sloth could beat him in a race." Turning the truck off Skaz lead them to the entrance to Raft waving good bye to go off to his dorm.

"He's really nice isn't he Daria? He's cute too. Lindsey nearly ran into another student not paying attention to where she was going.

"Sure, kind of an ass though, and snobbish, and I thought you didn't want him paying for you." Daria made sure Lindsey didn't run into anyone else grabbing her by the arm.

"Well I didn't but he offered so I let him. He's not an ass though Daria he is just sweet, he opened the door for us, how many guys do you know who still do that?"

"Plenty still do, they're called doormen." Daria got her key out since Lindsey was busy trying to defend Skaz to Daria. "Hey if you like him so much ask him out alright? I don't deal with all that girly stuff."

"But you're a girl, and I'm sure you had friends, heard you talking to one on the phone, so you must deal with this, being so waif like, must have had plenty of boyfriends." Lindsey kept going on about how great Daria must have been back home which started to annoy Daria.

"Look Lawndale sucks, I hate that place, I had one friend the whole time, one boyfriend who I broke up with before coming here, and I am not going to be someone who cares about that here. I got my scholarship so I could come here and learn not to go out with friends or find a boyfriend. I'm sorry you expect me to be like a sister but I couldn't stand my sister let alone a new one who is so wishy washy and has no backbone." Daria went to her room slamming the door shut angrier at herself then at Lindsey. She was supposed to at least make nice with her roommate and now she had just called her roommate weak. She could already hear Lindsey crying and turned her radio on to try and drown out the noise. Daria listened to her radio until she heard Lindsey knocking on her bedroom door. "Come in Lindsey." Daria turned her radio off when Lindsey came in.

"I'm sorry Daria I shouldn't have yelled at you." Daria was confused, wasn't she the one doing all the yelling? "I guess I am kind of wishy washy, but please don't be mad at me I didn't mean to make you mad." Daria got up and went over to Lindsey.

"Look you didn't yell at me and yet you are apologizing, I did all the yelling, I should be apologizing. Grow a back bone before school starts or you will let everyone walk all over you making your life hell." Daria walked past Lindsey and went out into the living room to get a drink. "I'm the one who's sorry alright? I shouldn't have yelled at you Lindsey even if I think you deserved it. So far you have been mostly nice to me if not completely open; you just annoy me with how you act. You didn't want Skaz to pay for you but you let him, you didn't want me to spend too much money on a TV yet when I do you just roll over after I tell you to. A worm has more back bone then you Lindsey, learn to stand up for yourself." Daria walked back into her room past Lindsey who looked ready to cry again. "Don't cry, that is really annoying, you'd cry over spilt milk if we had any to spill." Daria kept ranting for what seemed like hours to her, she just couldn't shut her mouth. After less then three days she was already more annoyed with Lindsey then after the three years of dealing with Kevin and Brittany combined. "Damn it this is what I need Jane for." Lindsey's eyes got big as she put a hand over her mouth.

"You're a bad person, bad people do drugs and you do Marijuana, which makes you bad." Daria had no idea what Lindsey was talking about.

"What? When did I say I did that?"

"You just said you need Jane for this, to relax, Jane is another word for Marijuana, which makes you a bad person. No wonder you don't like me I'm a good person." Daria finally realized what Lindsey was going on about.

"No that's Mary Jane; Jane is my friend from back home. I would never do drugs they are illegal and mess your brain up. I need Jane so I can rant to her about all the idiots around me so I don't go off on them." Daria bit her tongue too late, she didn't mean to imply, or out right call Lindsey an idiot.

"I'm not an idiot! I got into this school because I was smart! Unlike _some_ people I can't wave a wand and get in because my entire family went here or because my family has money so old the mold on it is older than me!" She pushed Daria onto her bed, showing Daria that Lindsey did have a backbone.

"Like I can? My ex-boyfriend got into Bromwell because his uncle built them a damn building! I had better grades then Tom and his parents wrote a letter of recommendation and I still couldn't get in. My Mom worked very hard for 18 years at her law firm to make sure I would have money to go to college which she then gave to me when I got my scholarship." Daria got back up ready to push Lindsey out of her room.

"A lawyer!? She probably makes more money in a month then my mom does in a year! Her fancy suits, fancy cars, fancy house, trying to act like you had to earn a scholarship when your mommy could have just threatened to sue the school to let you in!" Lindsey was about to push Daria again when the phone rang. "Go get it it's probably one of you hundreds of rich snobby friends!" Lindsey turned on her heel and walked out slamming her door shut when she got to her room.

Daria got the phone and answered it on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Hey Daria I figured I would give you a call to see how you are doing." It was Tom Sloan.

"How did you get this number?"

"Jane told me it; she got it off her caller ID. So how you doing?"

"I could be doing better since right now my roommate is in her room yelling 'I hate you', how are you doing?"

"Alright I suppose, my roommate isn't yelling at me anyways. How are your dorm rooms? The ones here are pretty big, bigger then one would expect anyways."

"They are big enough for two people. So is Bromwell as uptight and snobbish as I expected?"

"Come on Daria no one could be that uptight or snobbish. How's Raft and Boston?"

"A larger version of Lawndale so far except I don't have Jane to talk to."

"Well you could always call her, they don't charge you if you call."

"I see didn't want to waste your money on me calling you so you figured you would call me? Have to start saving up for the Tom Sloan building."

"My uncle only paid for a wing not a building. Besides I figure if I just pay for a new parking lot it should be enough to get my kids in here." Daria smiled for the first time in days talking to Tom.

"Well glad you are enjoying Bromwell so far." Daria was interrupted by a loud boom followed by several others as Lindsey turned her radio up full blast listening to more techno. "Oh man that stuff is annoying when you hear the lyrics."

"What's that Daria?"

"Never mind, can I let you go Tom? I need to ironh things out with Lindsey, but first need to buy an iron, a tire iron."

"Now Daria they only pass you automatically if your roommate commits suicide not if you kill them."

"Fine I'll make it look like an accident." Daria hung up the phone without saying bye and went to Lindsey's door. She knocked hard but Lindsey didn't answer, the music was probably too loud so Daria just opened the door letting herself in.

"Get out!" Lindsey threw a half empty soda can at Daria missing completely.

"Look I'm sorry I said those things alright!" Daria tried yelling over the music. Lindsey leaned over and turned the volume down. "Look I'm sorry alright? I'm not use to having to deal with a roommate I never met before. I don't know you and yet I have to share the same bathroom with you, do you know how weird that is? At least I got to choose to be Jane's friend and wasn't forced to have her as a friend."

"Like I am? I didn't have any good friends back at home and now I am forced to live with you! So far you treat me like trash then yell at me because I let you! I didn't let you though I just kept it inside so maybe you would like me." Lindsey rested her head on an open hand. "I want to start over in Boston, in Raft. I hated Knoxville, I hated the people there, I am glad I am here. But you make it so difficult, I try to be nice and you call me spineless, I stand up to you and you yell at me even more, what the hell do you want Daria?" Daria was taken back by Lindsey and what she was saying.

"Look Lindsey you let Skaz walk all over you, did you even ask to be taken out for food or did he just say he was going to take us and you went along with it? You let me push you around on the important things but then stand up to me on stupid things. I'm sorry I kept yelling at you and I didn't mean to call you an idiot it's just I have gotten use to being able to go over to Jane's and talk to her when I wanted to, or Tom when he wasn't up at the Cove. Now I don't have them at my beck and call and have to keep my thoughts inside my head. I didn't have a headache earlier it was just the music was annoying me. Normally I would put up with it until I got home and went over to Jane's but now I can't do that and it is getting to me. This is a stressful situation for both of us and if we don't kill each other by the time school starts we will be on the right track."

"What is so wrong with me that you would want to kill me?" Lindsey was getting angry again and Daria had to save it or end up with Lindsey even angrier then before.

"Nothing it's just that I don't know you! I don't like meeting new people that much and when I do I like it to be on my terms. But now I have to get to know you because you are my roommate and I don't like that. If we had met in class and got along sure but in this situation I am forced to be your friend. Give me a few weeks to get use to you alright? If I still yell at you for stupid things then you can yell at me."

"Well ok, I guess, sorry I called you a bad person and said I hated you."

"Alright, and I'm sorry I yelled at you and called you spineless. Can we just try to end today without anymore yelling?" Lindsey nodded reaching over for something that was furry and black.

"Say hello to Hannah the Second." It was a stuffed animal of a cat. Lindsey then grabbed another furry animal that was gray. "And say hello to Keogh the Second." Daria thought it was a bit childish but didn't want to get into an argument so she said hi to both stuffed animals before going back to her room avoiding the spilled cola on the carpet. "Oh no can't let it stain!" Lindsey got up and went to the kitchen to get a rag to clean up the mess.

A few hours later Daria was in her room listening to a CD when Lindsey came in without knocking. "I'm going to bed Daria and was wondering if it's ok to play my music, it helps me sleep but it might bother you and I don't want to do that."

"No go ahead, goodnight." Lindsey left closing Daria's door behind her. Daria turned to see it was already past eleven o'clock and decided it was time for bed to. Turning her music off she could hear the beat coming from Lindsey's room. It was kind of soothing Daria admitted changing into her sleep shirt. Taking off her glasses Daria lay back and relaxed listening to the beat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Day Before Tomorrow**

Daria was getting more nervous as the time passed; she had gone over the campus several times and found each of her classes. She knew she had a class with Lindsey and already promised to let Lindsey sit next to her when class started. But the first day of college classes was tomorrow and it was getting to Daria. She knew she could handle high school, those classes were easy, but this was college, Daria wasn't sure what to expect. Daria and Lindsey kept the fighting down to one argument when Lindsey said Skaz was coming over and that they might go out to eat later and Lindsey kept bugging Daria to come along. Daria finally caved in when it looked like Lindsey was about to cry again. And now she was only seventeen hours away from her first class.

"Come on Daria relax it is just school, except you pay them money to go, and they make you live on campus, but really it's just school." Lindsey was looking over the games Daria had on her computer which Daria had finally gotten around to setting up. "How come you don't have any Tycoon games? Those are fun, make money, make a roller coaster or a mall, takes more then pulling the trigger like in Doom or Quake."

"Oh come on nothing like blasting zombies and grunts with a shotgun." Daria was going through her book bag again rearranging the books and other school supplies. "There has to be a way to do this so I don't have to come back here in between any of my classes." Daria did not want to talk back to the dorm building since the closest class was a good five minute jog away, and with fifteen minutes in between classes she didn't want to do that. Daria gave up and decided if she carries two of the books in her arms with the other books and supplies in her book bag she could make it so she didn't have to come back here in between classes.

"Wow what's this?" Daria looked up at the screen and saw Lindsey was reading something, one of her stories!

"Get out of that!" Daria dropped her book bag and went over as quickly as she could nearly knocking Lindsey out of the lawn chair.

"Hey Daria what was that for?" Lindsey clicked out of the story before Daria did anything else. "Is that one of the things you wrote? It was good, the part I read, strong female kicking ass, a self insertion Daria?" Daria got the mouse and turned the computer off. "Alright sorry I read it. What's the point of writing something if no one else gets to read it?" Lindsey crossed her arms giving Daria a pouting look.

"Does there need to be a point besides the pointy end of a knife if you touch my computer again without my permission?" Daria wasn't sure why she was so mad, she had let Tom and Jane read a story she wrote, she even read one of her Melody Powers stories out loud at the Lawndale Café.

"Hey I had your permission to get on it and check it out! You don't need to threaten me Daria it won't work."

"Fine shut up, let it go." Daria put her hands over her ears to keep the noise out of her head.

"I will not shut up Daria I didn't do anything wrong! You just threatened to stab me with a knife because I was reading a story you wrote, what the hell is wrong with you!?" Lindsey grabbed Daria's arms and pulled them off her ears. "Listen to me damn it."

"Sorry I didn't mean it Lindsey. I said you could check out the games on my computer so how did you find my stories?"

"Well in college you need to write things so I was seeing what program you had and I found them."

"Ok I'm still sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it, now can we drop it? Go ahead and use my computer if you want but please don't read my stories unless I say you can, they are personal works of mine." Lindsey nodded in agreement but didn't turn the computer back on instead she went to her room.

Daria turned her computer back on and played some Zombie Shot until the phone rang.

"Hey is Lindsey there?" It sounded like Skaz.

"Uh yeah you want to talk to her?"

"No just wondering where she was, kidding, could you put her on the phone?" Daria set the phone down and got Lindsey. Lindsey went and got on the phone and started to act like a certain redhead Daria thought she would never have to see again, voluntarily. Daria went back to her game ignoring Lindsey talking to Skaz on the phone. About three stages later on Zombie Shot Lindsey got Daria's attention.

"What?" Daria paused her game.

"Skaz wants to know if you want to come with us to a party, his roomy is paying him to be the designated driver and Skaz wants someone he knows to go with him to keep him company." Lindsey smiled broadly at Daria batting her eyes. "Come one Daria you might like it and I don't want to go to it alone, might make Skaz think it's a date or something." Daria shook her head before replying.

"You like him, ask him out, don't drag me to a party just because you don't want to go alone."

"It's the guy's job to ask the girl out and I wouldn't be dragging you unless I knocked you out first." Lindsey laughed and then put her hands together like she was praying. "Please Daria? Last chance to go out before school starts."

"Until the next weekend when another party will be going on and you will want to drag me to that one." Daria started her game up again blasting some more zombies.

"Come on Daria please!" Lindsey was starting to get on Daria's nerves.

"Alright fine but you owe me." Daria saved her game before turning her computer off.

"You're not going to change? We have time Daria, and that outfit just isn't right for a party."

"Don't push it Lindsey, I already said I would go." Daria did think maybe she should change, she did have the clothes she wore to Alternapalooza, or that other one she wore to scare Quinn, not that she would ever wear it again.

"Oh I know I can dress you up! I got this really cute blouse and skirt that would fit perfectly! Come on Daria let me do your hair to while we're at it." Lindsey grabbed Daria's hand and tried to drag Daria to her room.

"No Lindsey I'm not changing anything!" Daria tore her hand away from Lindsey trying to keep her cool.

"But Daria your hair, I could put it up for you so it won't be in the way while you dance."

"Dance? I'm not dancing, I don't dance, and I can't dance."

"Well at least change your top Daria, I got a shirt that would go with that skirt a lot better." Lindsey went to her room and came out with a dark tan colored v-neck shirt. "See? Goes with your skirt better then that jacket you always wear." Lindsey handed it to Daria. Daria was going to argue but decided this was something small and stupid so why fight about it? Going to her room she changed her top and came back out. "Yea! You look so cute Daria, not too cute though." What had Daria done? Lindsey was acting like a Fashion Fiend from Lawndale and this scared Daria more then going to a party. "Ok now let me change and we can go to the entrance and meet Skaz." Lindsey went into her room and came out several minutes later in an all out goth/punk outfit.

"What the hell happened to you?" Lindsey had completed her outfit with black lipstick and eye liner.

"What? You don't like it?" She twirled around making the leather skirt shine in the light. "I know I don't have any piercing done but I will get a job sometime and get everything pierced!" Lindsey jumped up and down clapping her hands together in excitement. "Come on Daria this is going to be fun!" Lindsey nearly ran out the door in her knee high leather boots. Daria followed closing the door behind her locking it and went after Lindsey. Meeting Skaz out front his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Lindsey.

"Wow, uh, nice Lindsey. My roommate is already at my truck so you two will have to sit in the back. Easiest thirty dollars I've made, go to a party and don't drink, how great is this country?" Skaz got a laugh out of Lindsey but nothing out of Daria. "Glad you decided to come with us Daria." Daria let out a low mumbled hello and followed Skaz and Lindsey out to Skaz's truck. Lindsey's out fit seemed to have the same effect on Skaz's roommate as he offered Daria the passenger seat so he could sit with Lindsey in the back seat.

"No thanks, you get airbag injuries if you sit in the front seat." Daria climbed in behind Lindsey starting to wish she had told Lindsey no and stuck with it.

"Are you making fun of my driving skills Daria?" Skaz laughed turning the truck on. "So Mike just tell me where to go." Skaz's roommate gave directions until they got to a large house that already had several cars parked out front. Skaz went around the block and found a place to park. "Hey where's my money?" Mike dug into his pocket and got the money out handing it to Skaz. Walking the couple hundred feet to the house they got in and saw alcohol was already being consumed.

"Wait if Mike is your roommate then he can't be 21." Daria felt stupid saying it even before she got it all out.

"Your point Daria? He drinks, I don't, and I get thirty bucks to do nothing, no reason for me to tell him not to drink." Skaz pulled out a water bottle from a pocket inside his shirt. "H2O is natural and clean; unless it is city water then you have chlorine, cyanide, fluoride, and other poisons in it but still better then beer." Daria hadn't thought about bringing something to drink and wondered what she would do. Lindsey went off into the crowd coming back with two plastic cups filled with a brown liquid.

"Here Daria I got you some to." Lindsey took a drink from her cup after handing the other cup to Daria.

"Is this beer?" Daria could smell it already and wasn't about to drink it.

"No it's free beer, drink up, have fun. Oh sorry Skaz I know you can't drink but still have fun!" Lindsey twirled around a couple times then drank the rest of her cup quickly. "Need another one, you need a refill Daria?" Daria shook her head standing there with the cup in her hand hoping no one would try to talk to her.

"So Daria you don't drink?" Skaz pointed to the cup still in Daria's hands.

"I don't know, never tried it, but not 21 so probably shouldn't anyways." Daria swirled the cup making the beer spin inside the cup.

"Probably shouldn't is right, school starts tomorrow and the stuff is bad on your liver, kidneys, and spleen." Skaz took another drink from his water bottle before getting another one out. "Here's some water if you want it, it's not the original water though, just fill up the same ones again and again." Daria took the bottle and drank from it before Lindsey got back.

"Hey this is a cool song, wanna dance Skaz?" She set her cup of beer down and stuck a hand out towards Skaz.

"Uh I guess I can't really dance but what the hell." Skaz put the water bottle back into the inside pocket of his shirt and got up to dance with Lindsey leaving Daria alone in the middle of teens and tweenies getting drunk or already there.

"Hey Baby want to go upstairs and check out the mattress?" A guy Daria hoped was drunk started to hit on her.

"How about I see how well the pillow covers up your screaming?"

"Hey you into that stuff, cool!" The guy tried to grab Daria's arm before she could pull it away.

"Hands off mister." Skaz had grabbed the other guy by the back of the neck holding onto the pressure points.

"Hey man she said she wanted to have some fun didn't you Babe?" The guy tried to get Skaz to let go to no avail.

"I'm sure she did but right now you need to go lay down before she kicks your nuts into your throat, she wears boots she could do it." Skaz let go so the guy could stumble away to find another girl to hit on.

"Did I ask for your help?" Daria was relieved to have the guy go away but now her pride was at stake.

"No I just figured you could use it before you told him to go away by biting his tongue off when he tried to shove it down your throat. Just another reason why I don't drink."

"Speaking of asshole guys why aren't you dancing with Lindsey?"

"She wanted to get another drink so I told her I would check on you, and don't try to insult me Daria I have heard far worse then anything you could come up with at Strikers." Skaz got his water bottle out getting a drink from it. "Well I don't know, what's your schedule for tomorrow?"

"None of your business, and what's Strikers, your old high school?"

"Kind of if you want to call a place with an electric fence and metal detectors at all doors a high school. Of course it does build character as my dad put it even though he never went there, so glad I got to go to a regular high school my senior year."

"You went to a private school? What do your parents do to afford something like that?" Skaz started to act like someone who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore the place was evil and the people who worked there got what they deserved." Skaz didn't say anything else until Lindsey came back with two more cups of beer.

"Here Dars, got you another one." Lindsey put the one cup down drinking the other before finishing it in time for a new song. "Come on Skaz a slow song, let's dance." Lindsey grabbed Skaz's hand and took him into the living room with some of the other couples who were already dancing again leaving Daria to fend for herself. After finishing the water bottle Skaz gave her she tried the beer and finding it to be better then she thought it would be and finished the cup before going into a corner so she could only be attacked by drunken idiots from one side. Thankfully for Daria she only had to point one drunk away by telling them her boyfriend was the wrestling captain before Skaz and Lindsey came back an hour after leaving Daria.

"Sorry about leaving you alone Dars but you should be having fun to!" Lindsey was leaning up against Skaz for support.

"Well my roommate is drunk so I am going to get him and take us home, hold onto Lindsey to make sure she doesn't wander anywhere." Skaz picked Lindsey up by her waist and put her in front of Daria.

"I'm not drunk just a little tipsy." Lindsey grabbed onto Daria to keep her balance. "See? If I was drunk I wouldn't have caught her before she fell."

"Anyways be right back." Skaz left the two girls in the corner getting his roommate. Getting back the four left the party and walked, or stumbled if you were Lindsey and Mike, to Skaz's truck. "Daria make sure you open Lindsey's window in case she has to spew." Skaz grabbed Lindsey by the waist and hoisted her into the back seats of his truck after Lindsey's first attempt to climb in failed. Helping his own roommate into the passenger seat of the truck Skaz went around and started it up. "Daria open you window to, I could smell the alcohol on your breath." Daria blushed embarrassed that she was being told what to do as though she was three year old.

"I'm not drunk I just had a cup after I finished the water bottle you gave me." Remembering it she wondered what she had done with it. "Uh I don't know where it is though I think I left it at the party." Skaz shrugged his shoulders stopping at the red light.

"Oh well I have three more back in my dorm room. What the heck does this guy want!?" Skaz punched the steering wheel before pulling over. Daria had to shift over to see through the windshield, it was a cop!

"Kid we know that a college party is going on so we set up stop zones to make sure no one is breaking the law, you kids may think it is cool or posh but driving while intoxicated is a very serious offense. Could you please step out of the car?" Skaz did as he was asked. "Now could you stand on one leg and touch your nose?" Skaz did that as well. "Alright how about your ABC's?" Skaz showed he was smarter then a kindergartener to the cop. "Hmmm, I don't smell anything on your breath but I got a whiff of alcohol from your truck, could the other members in your truck produce some ID?" Daria was getting her drivers license out when Skaz talked back to the cop.

"Sorry but they don't need to do anything, it is not illegal to drink under the age of 21 but to buy under the age or to sell it to someone under the age of 21. They could have downed entire kegs and it wouldn't be illegal as long as they didn't purchase it or sell it to others." Skaz reminded Daria of her Mom when she went into legal mode.

"Smart ass you looking to be a lawyer at your school?" The cop raised an eyebrow tapping the handle on his gun trying to intimidate Skaz.

"No, economics is my major." Skaz had gone back to being himself. "They still don't need to take their ID out since even if they are under 21 they aren't doing anything illegal, since I being a loser don't drink I am the one driving."

"Well not drinking is cool and being the designated driver is responsible of a kid your age, just make sure it stays this way." Skaz got back into the truck and drove away.

"Well that was exciting." Skaz pulled into the parking lot of the school.

"How did you know that it isn't illegal to drink under age?" Daria got a hold of Lindsey trying to guide her out of the truck without getting hurt.

"I have no idea if that was true, in Michigan it is but who knows about Massachusetts." Skaz helped Mike out of the truck supporting him. "Well have a good night and good luck tomorrow, might see you in a couple classes. Can't believe they make us take certain classes, I mean, what do sciences have to do with my major?" Daria felt the same way, mainly about the math class and the government class she had to take, although science didn't really have anything to do with Creative Writing but she liked that class.

"You too Skaz and I'm sure Lindsey feels the same way." Daria was supporting Lindsey the same way Skaz was supporting Mike. Getting back to their dorm room Daria got Lindsey to her room laying her down on the bed. "Good night Lindsey." Lindsey mumbled something before grabbing her two stuffed animals and curling up into a ball with them. Daria went to her room and changed into her sleep shirt before going to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: First Day Of Hell**

Daria got up earlier then she needed to so she could get everything ready and calm down before school. When Daria got out of the shower she saw Lindsey's door was still closed so she knocked on it, no response. "Lindsey get up!" Daria opened the door to find Lindsey lying on the floor not moving. "Lindsey get up it's time for school!" Daria nudged Lindsey with her boot but Lindsey still wouldn't get up. Daria could smell something rancid and looking around she saw a pile of something near Lindsey's face that she didn't want to know what it was. "Lindsey get your ass up!" This time Daria bent down and picked up Lindsey a foot off the ground before dropping her.

"I don't wanna get up." Lindsey coughed and rolled onto her back. "Let me sleep a little bit longer." Daria was starting to get upset.

"Lindsey you have less than two hours to get up, shower, dress, and stop being stupid in time for school." Daria turned on Lindsey's CD player which started blaring techno music. "There! Now you have to get up to turn that crap off!" Daria had to yell over the music before leaving Lindsey in her room. Daria got food out of the refrigerator and made a sandwich. When she finished Lindsey had just crawled out of her room headed for the bathroom. "Need any help?" Daria was starting to get concerned for Lindsey, if she was this bad now how would she get through school?

"No I just need a shower and some carpet cleaner." Lindsey closed the door behind her leaving Daria alone. Daria turned the TV on and flipped through the channels getting nothing but early news.

"The Boston Police arrested over forty people last night for driving while under the influence. The Sheriff said he knew about several parties were going to happen since tomorrow is the first day of classes for the students at Raft, BFAC, and the State College and it seems he was right. Just goes to show you shouldn't drink and drive unless you know how to pass the tests while drunk. Did I just say that? I didn't mean it, I was just uh, kidding, yeah, I would never get caught drinking and driving, I mean…" The reporter dropped his mike and ran out of camera range.

"Looks like a job just opened up." Daria turned the TV wondering what to do now. She had at least an hour before she had to move. Relaxing as well as she could in the lawn chair Daria tried to calm herself as much as possible. School was just school nothing to get nervous about, she never got nervous about the first day of high school so why would she be nervous about this? Daria had her things together already and had her route's planned out so she wouldn't be late for anything yet she could feel her heart beat faster then normal the closer to eight o'clock she got. Her concentration was broken when Lindsey came out into the living room to get something to eat.

"Maybe it was a good idea to get a refrigerator." Lindsey got an apple out and started to eat it.

"You feeling better?"

"After purging my system and getting a shower I guess I can make it through the day. Man my head hurts." Lindsey put a hand on her forehead finishing her apple. "Thanks for getting me home, I hope I didn't do anything embarrassing in front of Skaz, where's the carpet cleaner?"

"You're gonna need more than carpet cleaner to get that stuff out. As far as I know the most embarrassing thing you did last night was having Skaz put you in the truck since you couldn't do it yourself."

"Well thanks for waking me up Daria but now I have to get rid of this headache, did we buy any Advil?" Lindsey sat down in her lawn chair looking around for something. "Where's the remote?" Daria took it off her lap and handed it to Lindsey who turned the TV on and flipped through the channels.

"Lindsey I was wondering, you say people who do drugs are bad but you drank a lot last night, isn't drinking bad?"

"Alcohol is completely different, it isn't illegal, and you don't smoke it and it tastes great." She flipped through the channels some more until she found something that wasn't news. "Yea! I love this show."

"How would you know that beer tastes great compared to other things?" Daria was getting her brain working dueling with Lindsey.

"Like you haven't tried it at least once Daria."

"As a matter of fact I haven't tried marijuana and last night was the first time I drank beer." Daria said this rather snobbishly.

"Really? What the hell did you do at parties if you didn't drink and smoke and stuff?" Lindsey looked sincerely confused.

"I'm sorry if my social life wasn't as wild as yours Lindsey, the few parties I did go to I stood around and acted like I wasn't there. Jane usually dragged me to the parties or I went because Tom wanted to go to them."

"Was Tom your boyfriend?" Lindsey turned the TV off paying attention to Daria.

"No he was this guy I dated." Lindsey looked confused again. "Yes he was my friend who was a boy."

"You said before you had an ex-boyfriend, why did you break up?" Lindsey was starting to get on Daria's nerves; it was too early for 20 Questions.

"He was going one place and I was going another so we broke up, we are still friends though."

"That's nice, I wish me and my boyfriends got along still, well, not Nick, he was a bit of a prick." Lindsey got up and went to her room coming back out a few minutes later with her back pack. "I got everything I need I think but I will probably forget something." She went through her back pack putting things back in it except for her calculator.

"You might want that." Daria picked it up and handed it to Lindsey.

"See told you I might forget something, I forgot my notebook book my first day of school my junior year I felt like such a ditz that first day without it. Although I got through talking to this one girl, she was smuggling balloons all year, I guess I could have been nice and told her you're supposed to put them in your shirt not suck the helium out of them to do it though." Lindsey laughed at her joke before setting her back pack down. Daria and Lindsey made sure they had what they needed, cleaned up the mess Lindsey made in her room, and set out for school.

Daria and Lindsey only had second period together, something Daria considered to be a blessing, but it turned out she had several with Skaz. Her first class, English 101, meant having to deal with Skaz early in the morning. "So Daria you and Lindsey feeling ok?" Daria didn't want to talk. "Hangover? Another reason not to drink, but darn you see the news? A bunch of people got arrested for drinking and driving last night, should have shopped around, bet I could have made more money auctioning myself off to the highest bidder." Daria kept ignoring him when the teacher came in.

"Hello class I am Professor Martin, I will be teaching you what you need to know to get to the next year so I don't have to deal with you again." He seemed like the cheery type. "First thing is no talking during class, you will read the books I give you, you will do the work I give you, if you don't I will make your life a living hell!" Professor Martin slammed his hand on the table in front of him. "Now who here has read The Prince?" Daria, Skaz, and three others raised their hands. "Very good, the rest of you need to get a copy and read it, test on Friday!" Professor Martin sat down at his table. A student raised her hand trying to get Professor Martin's attention. "What do you want?"

"Uh, are we doing anything _else_ today Mr. Martin? Or are _we_ supposed to sit here until _class_ is over?" The girl reminded Daria of Brittney, the high pitched squeaking, the blond hair, how did she get here?

"No! If we were I would have told you, since only five of you have read The Prince we can't do anything until the rest of you do! So get a copy of it and read it by Friday for the test. For your information I did not go to college for six years to be called MISTER! I am Professor Martin not Mr. Martin and you would do well to remember this…"

"Meagan."

"You would do well to remember this Meagan." The class was silent, no one moved, finally Daria went into her bag and got a book out to read. Just forty more minutes of this until she went to Algebra 101 where she would have to sit next to Lindsey. She tried to get out of it but Lindsey made her promise to sit next to each other.

"Daria." Skaz whispered over to her.

"What Alexandrian." Daria hoped using his real name would get him to leave her alone.

"What do you have next?"

"Math."

"Oh, is Lindsey in your class?" Daria just nodded. "Could you give her this?" Skaz handed a note over.

"Postage fee is five dollars." Daria was just joking but Skaz did get five dollars out and handed it to Daria.

"Thanks Daria." Daria went back to her book waiting for class to end. After Math she had three periods of her major, Creative Writing, which would make it so she wouldn't have to take any English classes next year since one credit from Creative Writing counted towards an English credit. Then finally she would have a break, followed by Physical Science and then she would be back at her dorm room, which meant being with Lindsey, no matter what Daria couldn't get away, couldn't be alone. Of course she didn't want to be alone, she wanted to talk to Jane but Jane wasn't here. The bell rang and Daria left the class for her next one, Math.

Getting to her next class Daria too a seat next to the wall making sure that only one person could sit next to her instead of being surrounded. Lindsey saw her and ran over taking the seat next to her. Daria got the note Skaz gave her and handed it to Lindsey.

"It's from Skaz." Lindsey opened it and read it.

"I don't think I have any classes with him, guess I can wait till I go back to our room to call him." The rest of the class arrived and the Math teacher came out of her office.

"Now you may think 'Math, what's the point after add and subtrat, multiply and divide, really you won't have much use for it outside of school' and you're right. One problem, you need this course to pass and I will demand you pay attention! Especially you girls, you might think you can get by on your looks but trust me when you hit forty you need brains to control those dickless twits! Unlike men you have no excuse for being stupid since you only have one head for the blood to go to!" She sat down at her desk. "You will call me Ms. Masters, I will call you student, I do not care about your names. You are here to learn not make a friend with me and learn you shall! You!" She pointed at a girl in the first row. "You look pretty smart, whats the square root of negative 4!"

"Uh 2?"

"NO! A negative number does not have a square root! That's 10 points off your score!" Ms. Masters went over to her computer and typed some things up. "Now…" The class went on and they would have homework, read chapter one and do all the problems in it, even the examples.

"Wow Daria she isn't to nice."

"Nothing a good lobotomy wouldn't fix." Daria now had to walk halfway across the campus to get to her next class, Creative Writing. "Lindsey you have fun in your next class, don't let the fumes get to you."

"That's why you open a window, putting on makeup and hair products in a bathroom without a window is a major no no, you do that and you are just asking to brain your damage." Lindsey smiled at Daria trying to get her to laugh.

"I guess." Daria had to run to make sure she would make it on time, make it and get the seat in the corner up against the wall to keep people from surronding her. The other students sat down and Daria looked around, some of these people didn't look to bad, if they were in this class they must have brains.

"Class, I am Mrs. Yulo, you may call my Yulo if you want. I am glad to see so many authors interested in learning more about writing. I will teach you writing styles, from first person to third person, how to write from different point of views, but I will also teach you how to get people to read your work, how to get people interested in what you wrote, and finally how to get your work published." A hand shot up. "Yes?"

"Have you had anything published?"

"Why yes I have, my first book sold over 20,000 copies, my second book sold over 14,000 copies. You are?"

"Nixxie."

"Yes well if you want I can get you an autographed book, both of them if you want." Mrs. Yulo seemed proud that her books were apparently flops.

"No it's ok Mrs. Yulo."

"Alright now I am wondering how many people have written their own stories?" Every hand went up, even Daria's. "Very good if you like you can submit one to me to go over, make notes, and for every story you submit no matter had bad or great you will get an extra 15 points to your grade." Daria smiled to herself, all the things she wrote, she could pass this class and never show up again, but there was no way she was going to let someone read her work, not some teacher. "Now how many of these were Fan Fictions or how many of you have also written Fan Fictions along with your original work?" Only seven hands went up. "Very good, I have found that the truly great authors out there are great not because of what they wrote but that they inspire others to write, even if they are the author of a television show or movie."

"Can we submit our Fan Fictions? What if it is from a show or something you don't know about?"

"Well Fan Fictions are alright to submit, and if I don't know it give me some of the original work if you have any, always wanting to learn more even at my age." Mrs. Yulo laughed. "Now some of you are able to write comedy, some are able to write drama, but you aren't able to write romance or action, with this class you will be given an assignment, three weeks to complete for each one. Not today but starting tomorrow I will give you an assignment that I hope will challenge you, for I can write a romance in my sleep but if I try to write something dark, something where the hero doesn't get the girl, I couldn't. Many of you are the same way, you can write one type or two types very easily but others you couldn't even if your grade depended on it so for this class I will assign new styles. I will give you a heads up, our first style will be action, so take today and tonight to think about what you want to start writing." A hand raised. "Question?"

"Uh what kind of action, Jackie Chan action, James Bond action, or Boondock Saint action?"

"Those are all forms of action writing, the scripts the people write for those movies have their own styles and you will to. Now I know some of you while trying to write an action story will be more lost then a blind blonde put in a round room and told to pee in a corner." A few laughs, a couple sighs. "But don't worry if your action isn't as bloody or kung fu packed as others, controversy in itself can create a lot of action, with that one joke I got laughs and made a few people upset, an action story needs as little as one line to set it up." Mrs. Yulo went to her desk and sat down. "Now this class is three periods long so if you have anything you were working on before, any new story you just have to finish, take this time to do so. If you don't have anything like that then take this time to work on how you want to make your new story, action can have as much or little of it as you want really, just one scene or an epic, but I would like at least five pages, front and back, for a full grade."

Daria got her Math book out and did the homework which was basic review of things she learned in high school. She still had over a period left when she finished and decided to work on the new assignment. "Melody Powers or Zombie Shooter 2000?" Daria decided she didn't want her heroine Melody Powers being corrupted by school and wrote a story on her favorite video game but made sure it was different enough to not count as a Fan Fiction.

The class ended and Daria had her first chapter done. She had a break and decided to head to the cafeteria to see what she could get for less then an arm and part of a leg. Daria got cheese fries and looked for a place to sit when Lindsey saw her. "Oh Daria sit over here!" Lindsey waved her arm making sure Daria and everyone else saw her. Daria walked over and sat down with her.

"So uh, Lindsey, how did you enjoy your class?" Daria just wanted to eat and get out so she was giving a chance for Lindsey to talk about herself, surely she could take up the time it took Daria to eat cheese fries by talking about herself.

"Well it was alright for a first class we really didn't do anything though just went over the basics as if none of us knew not to use a curling iron on hair that wasn't pre-treated and of course we all knew how to mix certain dyes and…" She went on like this for forty five minutes and Daria didn't understand a word that she said, just getting parts like 'lipstick' or 'brush'. Daria had finished her fries and wanted to leave but didn't have an excuse and she knew if she just got up and walked away Lindsey would get mad.

"Hey uh, almost time for my next class so I gotta go." Daria picked her book bag up and slung it over her shoulder.

"Oh it is almost time for my next class to! Time flies when you're having fun right Daria?" Daria just nodded not wanting Lindsey to hear 'If you count wishing you'd pulled a Van Gough fun'.

"Well have fun in your next class Lindsey." Then in a hushed voice "I feel sorry for them." Daria went to her last class, Physical Science. Getting there she saw Skaz, again, she had a class with him.

"Hey Daria!" He sat down next to her.

"Hi Alexandrian." Why did she have to get stuck with him?

"You give Lindsey the note I gave you to give to her?" Daria just nodded. "Good, I don't have any classes with her so that sucks, but hey have classes with you so that's cool right?" Skaz started tapping his fingers on the desk. Daria was already annoyed that he existed in the same universe as her and was about to yell at him to stop when the teacher came in and Skaz stopped on his own.

"Hello class I am Professor Rossler, you can call me that or Mr. Rossler, which ever works for you." Daria didn't care she put her head on the desk. "Now this first couple weeks will be review for you but review is important as it makes sure what you know stays fresh in your head, no point in knowing what sub-zero is if you don't remember it when it comes up on a test." He went to his desk and got a book out. "Open your books to chapter 1…" The class continued like a regular class reminding Daria of Lawndale High, except this teacher wasn't likely to pair her up with some numbskull idiot just to punish the numbskull idiot. When the bell rang Daria was ready to go back to her dorm room to get away from everyone else when she noticed Skaz was following her.

"Are you lost?"

"No, Lindsey lives with you so if I go with you I can talk to Lindsey, see how she responds to my note." Daria couldn't stand it; these two were getting on the last few nerves she had left. College wasn't as hard as she expected but the people, none of them were Jane, and none of them were someone she could talk to like she could with Jane.

"Fine but if she isn't there you are waiting in the hallway." Daria tried walking faster but Skaz was taller and his longer legs allowed him to keep up with her. Getting to her dorm room Daria opened the door and looked to see if Lindsey was there, she was. "Skaz wants to talk to you." Lindsey hopped up and nearly skipped over to the door. When Daria got out of the way Lindsey jumped up and threw her arms around Skaz's neck and kissed him hard.

"Yes Skaz I will!" Daria ran into the dorm room to get away from the two hearing more sloppy noises. Daria grabbed the phone and called Jane hoping she was home.

"Hello?" It was Trent.

"Trent is Jane home?"

"Yeah, I think, she went out running but she said she would be back after my afternoon nap." Daria heard some noise, Trent yelling, then another voice.

"Yo Ms. Morgendorffer, how you doing?" It was Jane.

"Jane this sucks! College is different from high school in that everyone is more annoying and uptight and stop it you two!" Daria heard a thump up against the wall in the hallway, they must be getting into their actions.

"What? Andrea isn't here."

"Not you my roommate and Skaz, they are uh, acting like Kevin and Brittney." Daria was away from Lawndale, why did they have to haunt her still?

"He cute?" Jane laughed knowing it would get to Daria. "Hey young love what can you do about it?"

"Put it to sleep, a pillow over her face wouldn't leave any marks would it."

"Well just hope if they get serious they go to his room." Daria didn't want to think about it, not that.

"My first day of school and I already wish I was back home, at least I could go to your house and talk to you."

"Well as long as you call me it's free for you. If you want I could go up this weekend and visit you, get you away from the two love birds."

"Are love birds in season?" Daria thought about it, she missed Jane, but to have her come all the way here? "No it's ok, maybe next weekend."

"Daria we are going out, uh, wherever, I'll be back tonight whenever." Lindsey and Skaz left.

"Look Jane I uh, have some homework to do, say bye to Trent for me and have a better day then me I guess."

"I am going out with Andrea later; some new punk band called 'Bodies of Hell' is playing at The Basement, as long as I don't get caught in a mosh pit I'll be fine, bye Daria." Daria waited to hear the phone click before hanging up. Going to her room Daria lay down on her bed being alone in the dorm room. Daria lay there until she fell asleep, she was exhausted, she hadn't done a lot but school and her room mate had worked her brain into a coma. Daria never heard Lindsey come home and barely heard her alarm go off the next morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Dealing with Relationships**

Daria got through the week by calling Jane every day after school, Jane made sure she would be home for the phone calls. The weekend meant parties, parties meant people, and people meant hell, according to Daria anyways. Daria had worked on her assignment for Creative Writing and finished her Math homework and was going to take the weekend to veg out.

"Come on Daria, Skaz and me are going to the place we ate at before, you can come, we won't you know, be to kissy face." Daria did not want to go; she had to deal with them trying to choke each other with their tongues for most of the week and wanted a break from it.

"I am not leaving this dorm room unless a meteor is going to land on this exact spot and even then I probably won't leave."

"Come on Daria how do you expect to meet a new boyfriend if you don't go out and meet people? If you got a boyfriend then we could double date!" Why Lindsey thought that was a good idea Daria didn't know. "Come on Daria you went to the party last week why won't you go to the Pizza King?"

"I went to it and nearly got arrested when the cop pulled us over.

"You were not, Skaz was driving, and you weren't drunk, stop exaggerating Daria, you had fun."

"You had fun, you drank, a lot, you danced with Skaz, a lot, I stood in a corner and hoped no one would talk to me."

"Well that's why you didn't have as much fun as I did Daria you have to go out into the crowd, find a cute boy, and get his attention. How do you think you got your boyfriend, Tom, right?" Daria did not want to talk about how she got Tom, especially not to Lindsey.

"It doesn't matter I'm not going anywhere this weekend, maybe next weekend." The same thing she told Jane.

"Fine, party pooper." Lindsey had already changed and was waiting for Skaz to get there. "Well maybe after Pizza King we can come pick you up when we go to the movies, you don't have to sit anywhere near us but still get to see a movie." Lindsey didn't want Daria to sit around alone, she hated being alone and didn't think Daria would want to be alone all weekend either.

"No, I am sitting here and doing whatever I feel like; if I feel like doing nothing then I will do nothing."

"Come on Dars, please?" Lindsey tried batting her eyes at Daria.

"No, and call me Dars again I will…" Daria stopped herself; Lindsey took things to literally to say anything to.

"Fine, be here alone, see if I care." Lindsey did care; she wanted to be good friends with Daria since they were living together.

"Don't care, have fun with Skaz." Just go away Daria thought changing the channels looking for anything but repeats. "I have to brainstorm on my Creative Writing homework and want to be alone."

"Well why didn't you just say so? Maybe I can help, what are you writing about?"

"Have to make an action story. I'm thinking one based off of Zombie Shooter 2000 so I can make it bloody." Daria knew Lindsey didn't like Zombie Shooter 2000 so hoped this would keep Lindsey quiet.

"Oh well, why not a romantic action story? Like, um, Romeo and Juliet. They had a sword fight in it and that's action."

"No romance, I don't do romance." Daria knew her teacher would make her write a romantic story for the class. It would be the only bad grade she got since she'd turn in a blank piece of paper. There is a knock at the door.

"Oh that must be Skaz!" Lindsey walks over to the door and opens it. "Um, you must have the wrong dorm room."

"Daria? You sure have changed." The voice gives the person away.

"Jane? I said, I said you didn't have to come." Daria goes to the door and sees Jane, and Andrea! "This is Lindsey, my room mate."

"Hello, which one of you is Jane?" Jane raises her hand. "Daria really misses you! She always says how she wishes you were here so she could talk to you." Lindsey turns to Andrea. "Nice ring, did it hurt, um, what's your name?"

"Andrea, and No." Andrea looks over Lindsey. "What's with the outfit?"

"I'm going out later, Daria, if you had friends coming to see you and that's why you didn't want to come you could of said so." Lindsey sounds hurt.

"I didn't know they were coming." Daria lets the two in. "I told you I wasn't going anywhere…"

"That's why we came up to see you. You're in college, you're supposed to go out and have fun, and when you have the time go to classes."

"I got her to go to a party last weekend but she says she has to do homework." Lindsey goes over to the mini fridge. "You want something to drink?"

"We're fine." Jane looks around the room. "Luxury at its finest. How much does the five star treatment cost?"

"Too much without a scholarship." Daria goes to her room and comes back with something. "Here you go." She hands Jane ten dollars.

"What's this for?"

"The gas you used." Daria sits down in a lawn chair.

"This doesn't cover that."

"I told you not to come so I'm not paying for all of it." Daria looks around. "We only have two seats, sorry." There is a knock at the door. "Not now."

"Hey Lindsey, who are your friends?" Skaz waves to the two girls he didn't recognize.

"Those are Daria's friends, Jane and Andrea. This is Skaz, my boyfriend."

"Big guy aren't you?" Jane looks up at him. "What are you, a basketball player?"

"Nope, sports are a waste of time unless you plan to go pro. I'm guessing Daria hasn't been too nice when talking about me."

"What makes you think I'd waste my time talking about you?"

"See?" Jane laughs.

"She's been nice, mostly. Says you get on her nerves with how you act around her and Lindsey."

"I guess being a gentlemen in today's day and age can be annoying. Women are taught to be empowered and independent so a guy who pays for food or opens doors is a bad thing." Skaz smiles at Daria. "I miss anything?"

"Aren't you and Lindsey going somewhere Alexandrian?" Daria uses his name to try and get him to leave.

"Sure, Lindsey, your chariot awaits." Skaz holds the door open for Lindsey and follows her out of the dorm room.

"Why did you come all the way up here Jane? You'll have enough time to go through Boston once you go to BFAC." Daria had wanted to relax after a week of classes but it looks like that won't happen.

"We wanted to see how you were doing." Jane sits on the floor between the lawn chairs so Andrea can sit in the other lawn chair. "You could let your guest sit in the lawn chair."

"I didn't invite you, this time. What do you want to do?"

"Can we look around the campus? See what I'm not missing out on." Andrea looks around the room. "Where's your bathroom? Jane didn't want to make any stops on the way here."

"If you miss it don't pee in my room." Andrea gets up and walks down the hall, she opens the door on the left.

"I hope this isn't your room Daria." Andrea had never been in Daria's room and didn't know what she would have.

"You must be at _her_ room. Turn around and you'll find the bathroom." Andrea does.

"Nice, an artist." Jane had gone back and sees Lindsey's room. "These photos are really good. Why didn't you tell me she was an artist?"

"She takes pictures, something I can do, so it's not art." Daria gets out of the lawn chair. "You probably shouldn't be in there Jane. Lindsey didn't say you could go in there."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind one artist observing her art." Jane goes through some pictures when Andrea comes out of the bathroom.

"I'm ready, what are you doing?" Andrea walks into Lindsey's room.

"Can you get out of her room? If you mess with anything she's going to be mad at me." Daria walks to Lindsey's room to see Jane and Andrea looking through a photo album. "Jane, put her album back."

"Ok, I'll ask her tomorrow to see some of her other work." Jane closes the photo album. "Come on Daria I want to see where you learn."

"The TV's in the living room, my computer is in my room." Daria smiles, she had missed Jane and the surprise after a hard week of school was needed. "Andrea, you're not going to college?"

"I don't consider Crownwell Community College a college."

"No dorms or room mates, no parties filled with idiots, sounds better then here." Daria and the other two leave the dorm room and Daria gives them a tour of the campus.

After the tour the three get in Andrea's car. "You couldn't find a pink car you had to go with black?" Daria was getting use to Andrea. Her and Jane seemed to be good friends and Andrea never did get on her nerves so it wasn't that hard to be friendly.

"Daria, where's a good place to eat?" They are driving down a road away from the college.

"There's a Pizza King in Reno, about five miles west of here." Daria is in the back seat while Jane and Andrea are in the front seat. Jane leans over to Andrea and whispers something into her ear.

They get to the Pizza King and find it is almost empty. "Guess everyone else is out partying, like you should Daria. You're in college, that's what you do in college."

"Did I ever party, willingly, in Lawndale?" Daria made sure to add the 'willingly'.

"You went to some of Trent's gigs, and you went to Jodie's graduation party." Andrea comes back after ordering a pizza.

"This place is almost empty." Andrea sits next to Jane.

"They're out partying, like I told Daria. What do you think, go to college, go to college parties, have fun."

"Sounds right to me. These people actually choose to go to school so they can't all be brain dead. You should get along with them Daria."

"How would you know? You go to a community college. You don't have to deal with these people all day. Especially Lindsey and Skaz, he's, I don't know what he is."

"Smart? Nice to you? Things you aren't use to guys being?" Andrea hears the bell ring and goes to get the pizza. Daria waits for Andrea to come back with the pizza before answering.

"Hey, Mack was nice to me, and he was smart, so was Tom. I don't know what it is about him that rubs me wrong." Daria grabs a slice. "He wanted to take Lindsey out to eat but she didn't want to go with him alone so she dragged me along. He offered to pay and I said no. He made a big deal out of it. He said he wouldn't let a lady pay. I told him what makes him think I'm a lady and he said, I quote, '_It'd be rude to assume you weren't_'. Who says things like that?"

"Sounds like a guy who grew up without a father. His mom instills the fear of women into him so he treats all women like royalty." Daria stares at Andrea. "My cousin is like that. If a woman walks in a room he stands up. Was in New York City once and while riding the subway he refused to sit since there was one seat left saying if a woman got on it would save him time giving her the seat."

"Still creepy." Daria eats a slice when Jane leans over and whispers in Andrea's ear. Andrea shakes her head. "What's going on? Jane, what is it that you can't say in front of me?" Jane had done it in Andrea's car and now here.

"Well, can we wait to go back to your dorm? Too many people here." Daria looks around and sees two people, including workers.

"Bullshit, what is it? Jane, we're friends, you're my best friend, what is it? Did Trent die or something and you don't want me to break down in front of people?" She says this jokingly and doesn't like the response.

"Not exactly." Jane looks away from Daria. "How about we take the rest back to your dorm room? We'll tell you then."

"Not exactly?" Daria looks at Jane, then Andrea. "Andrea, are you pregnant with Trent's kid?"

"No, it doesn't involve Trent." Jane and Andrea get out of the booth and get a bag to carry the rest of the pizza in. "Come on Daria." They leave the Pizza King and Daria follows.

"What is it? We're alone in here." Daria wants to know what is going on even before they get their seat belts on.

"We'll tell you Daria stop being such a pain in the ass."

"If it's so important you drove out here then tell me. That is why you drove out here, it is too big to tell me over the phone."

"Well, one of the reasons, but wait. I'm sorry she's acting this way Andrea."

"I'm right here. You'd act this way to if I had something big to tell you and wouldn't. If I drove hundreds of miles just to tell you something then didn't, are you saying you'd sit and twiddle your thumbs?"

"I never twiddle my thumbs." Jane laughs a little. "Please Daria, this is important to me, to tell you. Just wait." Daria sits back in her seat and remains quiet for the rest of the ride.

They get back and go to Daria's dorm room. Daria unlocks the door and they go into the living room. "Ok, we're here, we're alone, what is it?" Daria turns around and sees Jane holding Andrea's hand.

"Well, um, Daria, I, well…" Jane can't say it.

"We've been dating." Andrea nudges Jane. "It isn't that embarrassing. You were able to tell Trent with no problems."

"Yeah but, he's my brother, he has to love me." Andrea rolls her eyes.

"Wait, but, what about Tom? Or the guy who wore the Zoot Suits?" Daria is confused. "You told me about the artist who got fresh with you at art camp but you turned her down, right?"

"I did, but, well…" Jane looks at the floor. "You don't hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?"

"Andrea's parents basically disowned her when she told them. And you're, you're not the most liberal person in the world. Since that incident, I pushed it out of my mind, but when you stole Tom from me and I hated both you and Tom, mainly you, and Tom…" Jane continues to ramble.

"It's nothing serious we just found the other one to be fun. Both artists, both smart, both having bad experiences with men, not like we'll petition the governor to get married. Jane was making a huge thing out of these feelings but really it's just like having feelings for a guy."

"But, I," Daria sits down in a lawn chair. "That's it?"

"What do you mean that's it? I've been afraid of having my life turned upside down and all you have is _that's it_?"

"Well, I'm not religious or anything Jane. You're my friend, if you do, that, then I'm not going to hate you or anything. I have some questions, like when, how, who? You said you and Andrea became friends after what happened between you and Tom and me, then?"

"No, I was too pissed at everything. Andrea wasn't even like this then, well, she was, she just didn't, you know."

"Real literary master isn't she?" Andrea's joke eases the tension.

"She listened to me rant and rave about you and how much I hated you and Tom. We patched things up and I kind of ignored her. But then the thing with, you know, and then, well, Andrea?"

"Jodie's party was the straw that broke my back. Damn Upchuck, I was amazed he actually hit on me." The three laugh. "But really I just didn't feel anything. I thought it was him, but I tried with another guy and nothing. Then, Jane called me while you were busy getting ready for College and we started hanging out again. We could talk, we could listen to the same music, do the same things, it just sort of happened."

"This isn't some elaborate joke, is it?" They shake their head. "Wow, but Jane, you've never, I thought we were good friends."

"We are Daria but I didn't want to tell you. Don't worry I never felt like this about you."

"Oh great I'm so ugly neither man nor woman feels attracted to me." They laugh at the joke. "Not that I could, women are too crazy. It's enough dealing with PMS once a month not to have to deal with it again when the person I'm with goes through it." They laugh some more. "You really thought I'd hate you?"

"She said the same thing about Trent." Andrea is still holding Jane's hand. "See, she thinks the same thing."

"Jane you're my friend, if I hate you then I'm dead in the water. Who am I going to call when Lindsey annoys the hell out of me? Or her and Skaz are trying to choke each other to death with their tongues?" They laugh again.

"I feel stupid now." Jane looks up from the floor at Daria. "Thanks Daria."

"What do your parents think?"

"I'll tell you when I find them. My mom left a note on the counter saying something about moving rocks in Death Valley. Not sure when she left it though, it could be old. Last I heard my dad was in Japan taking pictures of Mount Fuji."

"So, are you gay, or bi, what? I thought you really liked Tom."

"I did, and still do, he's a good friend. And I admit that Skaz guy is cute, but I don't feel about Tom like I do about Andrea." Jane scratches the back of her neck, she was still nervous Daria would say or do something. "Um, I was wondering if we could crash here tonight. It's a long ass drive and I don't feel like driving back."

"Like you can drive a stick." Andrea nudges her in the side. And laughs.

"I guess, I don't think there is anything against the rules about it. You'll have to sleep on the floor though." They laugh. "What?"

"Never mind, bad joke." Andrea looks around. "What's there to do in Boston on a Friday night?"

"I was going to relax and not do anything while Lindsey was out with Skaz but if you two want to go do something I can probably find where Lindsey is. She said it was at the same place the party was last week."

"Its ok Daria we can stay here. Don't tell Lindsey though, about us. I want to see some of her work without her…" Andrea interrupts Jane.

"Jane, it's not the Dark Ages, the church isn't in control anymore. They're to busy raping eight year old Alter Boys to persecute people like us. I doubt Lindsey will come at us with a cross and a bottle of holy water if she knew." Andrea turns to Daria. "Thanks for letting us stay here Daria. Didn't want to waste money on a hotel."

"We could watch Sick Sad World, saw in the TV listings they have a three hour run going. When Aliens Get Caught Using Drugs At the Olympics, sounds good." The three hang out watching TV and talking before going to bed. "If she isn't coming home you could stay in her room so you're alone."

"Yeah and have her walk in hammered stepping on us. Daria we'll just sleep on your floor."

"She's probably getting hammered by Skaz." Jane laughs at the joke, Daria doesn't. "Daria it's what college kids do. If you aren't going to live like a college student you can go to Crownwell Community College and I'll go to Raft. Keep me closer to Jane when she goes to BFAC."

"I came here to learn not get drunk or have sex. My scholarship means I need to keep a B average or higher and I won't waste my time on that." Daria grabs her sleeping clothes and goes to the bathroom. She brushes her teeth, does the usual going to bed stuff, then changes. She goes back to her room. "Stop that!" Jane and Andrea were on the floor kissing.

"I was just kissing her good night. It was a long drive here and I'm tired." Daria closes the door and goes to her bed. She leans over and turns her lamp off.

"If I hear anything you're sleeping in your car." The two on the floor laugh but soon fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: College Weekends**

Saturday morning was welcomed by everyone at Raft. The first week of college had been something many had waited for and dreaded. Many had gone to parties the night before and were recovering while three were deciding what to do. "Would you like the museum?"

"That's a Sunday thing Daria. This is a college town there has to be clubs to go to later." Jane is going through a phone book for ideas.

"Find some amateur bands playing and I'm there." Andrea is in a lawn chair watching TV. She is letting Jane and Daria hang out.

"But what about now?" It wasn't noon yet so they had a lot of time to kill. "Want to get something to eat?"

"Not Pizza King." Jane finds something in a newspaper. "Fall Art Show And Sale, at the Dalanar Park, Daria you know where that is?"

"No, use Map Search to find it while I take a shower." Daria gets clean clothes and takes a shower. She comes out and finds Lindsey and Skaz in the living room. "Just getting back?"

"And front," Skaz smiles. "She was pretty wasted last night so I let her stay at my dorm room."

"Oh you _let_ her stay?" Daria raises an eyebrow.

"I didn't think you and your friends would appreciate a smashed redhead ruining your fun." Lindsey sits down on the floor holding her head.

"I'm okay, headache won't go away though." She rubs her temples. Daria goes back into the bathroom and gets Advil. "Thanks."

"Won't party so hard next time will you?" Daria walks around Lindsey and Skaz. To get a glass of water for Lindsey to wash the pills down.

"Skaz, you know where the Dalanar Park is?" Jane shows him the advertisement for the Art Show.

"Yeah, just get on 80 and go left until you get to First and take a right." Skaz takes the glass from Lindsey when she finishes it and takes it to the sink. "When are you going?"

"I don't know, Jane, Andrea, when do you want to go?" Daria was doing whatever they wanted since she didn't care.

"Need to shower, then we can go."

"Lindsey, want to go to the Art Show?" Skaz rubs her shoulders.

"Sure, if this headache goes away." Lindsey stands up and goes to her room. She lies down on the bed. "Much better then the floor." She continues to rub her temples as her headache seems to get worse. Skaz walks in and sits on the bed next to her.

"Want to do something else next weekend?" Lindsey nods. Daria closes the door.

"Pathetic."

"Yes you are." Daria turns around and sees Jane.

"What? I'm not the one in my room curled up into a ball wondering why God let me live."

"Exactly. She partied, you stayed here. If me and Andrea hadn't come you would have sat in your room on your computer playing Zombie Blaster 2000."

"Get a shower so we can go to the Fall Art Show And Sale." Daria holds her nose. Jane sniffs the air.

"I don't smell." Jane goes to Daria's room and grabs a bag and goes into the bathroom. Daria sits down in a lawn chair.

"You really don't want to go do you?" Andrea is flipping through the channels waiting for her turn to use the shower.

"No, I just wanted to do nothing this weekend. College is High School but more. More homework, more insane teachers, more people I don't know or want to know." Daria motions to Lindsey's room.

"She doesn't seem that bad."

"You haven't talked to her or dealt with her. Just wait when she starts to talk about something then stops. Or just, I'm starting to wish I went to Crownwell."

"Until you go there and realize this is ten times better." Andrea gets up when she hears the shower stop running. She goes to Daria's room and gets a bag and waits for Jane to leave the bathroom before going in. Jane knocks on Lindsey's door.

"Lindsey, is it ok if I come in?" The door opens and Skaz lets her in. "I was looking at your pictures last night…"

"What? You went in my room?" Lindsey sits up on the bed. "I didn't say you could come in, if Daria said you could…" Jane stops her.

"She told me to stay out. I'm an artist and your work is really good." Jane picks up a picture. "The shading on the right side of the face really makes one see a light and dark side."

"You take pictures?"

"No, paint, sculpt, some modern stuff. My dad, he takes pictures." Jane sets the picture down and looks at some pictures Lindsey has tacked up on the wall. "What kind of camera do you use?"

"I, it's an old Nivon 26x."

"My dad used one of those before, still does when he's doing something dangerous like African animals." Jane looks around some more. "You have anything not in the open?" Jane knew she had art she didn't show anyone else and wondered if Lindsey did to.

"I, well, some, but it's not for anyone to see." Jane had been dead on.

"I have that to. To personal or the subject would hurt you if you showed anyone else." Jane laughs a little. She talks with Lindsey some more about art when Andrea comes out of the bathroom in clean clothes.

"Are you ready Jane?" Jane nods.

"Are you coming with us?" Jane had fun talking with Lindsey about art.

"I don't know, you and Daria are friends, and I'd…" Lindsey doesn't finish her sentence.

"Come on, if you're worried about being a third wheel don't. I was a third wheel with my own boyfriend until he and Daria got together."

"Tom?" Lindsey looks at Jane with a confused look.

"She didn't tell you about that?" Lindsey shakes her head. "Long story, ends with me hating Daria and Tom for awhile but made up in the end."

"If Daria doesn't mind we'll go." Lindsey holds Skaz's hand.

"Don't worry about her she can't say no to me." Jane and the other two leave Lindsey's room and go out into the living room. "Ready?"

"Yes." Daria goes to the door and opens it. Everyone leaves and she locks the door. They go out to the parking lot. "Who's riding with who?"

"Lindsey ride with me, I want to talk to you." Jane walks towards Andrea's car. Lindsey turns to Skaz.

"Could we all fit in your truck?" He nods.

"No, I want to talk to her without Daria, or you, listening." Jane wanted to talk about Daria and try and help Lindsey with dealing with Daria. Daria was her best friend and knew how Daria could be around people she didn't know. Daria had even been resistant to getting to know her. "Ms. Morgendorffer can be…" Jane leads Lindsey to Andrea's car.

"I guess you're with me then." Skaz opens the passenger door. "What? To old fashion for you?" Skaz laughs and goes to the driver side. "Hey, just follow me!" He yells so Andrea and the other two can hear. He gets in his truck and waits for Daria to put her seatbelt on. They drive to the park and see a few cars in a parking lot and a bunch of tents and booths set up in a park across the street. The two car loads of college students go across the street.

"They call this art?" Daria looks at something that she can't identify.

"I don't get it either." Skaz looks at it to and can't make it out. A man comes out from the tent.

"Ah my sculpture made from bat guano…" Daria and Skaz back away from it immediately.

"Paint strokes, they, who did this, a monkey?" Jane, Andrea, and Lindsey are looking at a painting that is random, all different colors, has no order to it. A woman is at a table and walks over to the three.

"No, it was done by a chimpanzee. The zoo sells these to raise money." Jane finds a price tag.

"For ten thousand dollars I'll wait for a painting by an elephant."

"Those are usually twenty thousand." Jane rolls her eyes and goes over to the table Daria and Skaz are at.

"If that what I think it is?"

"Paste?" Jane touches it. "Jane its bat shit." Jane pulls her hand away from it.

"Daria why didn't you tell me!?" Jane wipes her hand on her pant leg.

"That is bat guano, not, such an unsophisticated word."

"Where do you get that much bat shit?" Daria isn't going to call shit guano.

"The zoo is kind enough to collect it and sell it to me for my art work. If you are not going to appreciate it then please leave so someone else can see my work." Daria and the others leave the table for something else.

"Here we go, my media." Jane goes over to some paintings that look like they were done by human hands. "What do you think Andrea?"

"To bright." Andrea puts a hand up as if the painting was blinding her.

"If it has anything but black and grey you say that."

"I use white and red." Andrea nudges Jane away from another painting of a woman on the beach. She leads Jane over to another painting of a storm. "This is art." It is of a thundercloud with lightning and a tornado powering through a trailer park.

"That's mean." Lindsey had followed the two over to the painting. She goes back to Skaz.

"She gets upset easily. Should show her some of my work." Andrea and Jane continue to look through more paintings while Skaz and Lindsey go to another tent. Daria walks around and find something more to her liking. Inside a tent is a woman currently working on a painting. A man is smiling, or trying to smile, but his cheeks are moving as his muscles get tired. "Don't move! If you want a true painting of yourself you must stay still."

"You have someone here." The woman turns around.

"Oh, dear, look through, if you see something you like please say something. If you would like to see the process then take a seat and watch." The woman stares at Daria then walks over to her. "Could you take your glasses off?"

"No."

"Yes, good choice, don't want to focus on the eyes anyways. Those cheeks are too strong to try and take attention away from them." She cups Daria's face in her hands.

"Unhand me before you lose them." The woman pulls her hands away from Daria's face.

"Sorry, when I see something I want to paint I get excited. If you want to model for me I can give you a card."

"I won't model for my friend so there is no chance in hell I'll model for you."

"A friend of your is an artist?" Daria nods. "Is she here, at the show?" Daria nods again. "Could you please bring her here? When she can, there is a lot to see but most of these, _artists,_" She says it with a sneer. "Refuse to talk to anyone and are to concerned with selling their work."

"And you aren't?"

"My family has made it so I would not need to work. This is not a job this is a way of life. I do this because I want to not because I need to." The woman goes over to a smaller table and picks something up. She hands a card to Daria.

"Danielle Thomas?" Daria reads the rest of it. "I don't want to model."

"Keep it I got dozens of them." Someone clears their throat. "Oh I'm sorry Tony." She goes back to her canvas.

"Ms. Thomas you don't have to complete this. You're paying me to help you load and unload your things."

"No, no Tony your face, that hair, it's perfect for what I've been needing and call me Danielle." Tony is about as tall as Trent is with short black hair. He is wearing a blue shirt with blue jeans and blue tennis shoes. He looks at Daria.

"You going to college around here?" Daria doesn't reply. "Already graduate or do you look older then what you are? I'm usually good with ages."

"Raft, I go to Raft." Daria looks at a painting. "My friend would probably like this. Ms. Thomas," Daria is cut off.

"Danielle, please call me Danielle. Using my last name just makes me sound old." Danielle gets some supplies out. "If you are getting your friend then Tony can take a break. Here's a five, get some soda." She hands Tony money.

"Danielle you don't have to give me money for drinks." He tries to hand it back to Danielle but she won't take it back. Daria and Tony leave the tent and go separate ways. Daria finds Jane and Andrea looking at paintings.

Hey Jane, I found an artist you'd probably like. She said she'd like to talk to you." Jane looks around. "Jane?"

"Sorry, thought I heard something. What were you saying?" Daria sighs.

"I went in a tent and found some art you'd probably like. I told the artist I had a friend who painted and she asked if you wanted to talk about art." Jane thinks about it for a second.

"Can't be any worse then the stuff we've been looking at." Jane and Andrea follow Daria over to a tent and go in.

"Oh you're back and you brought your artist friend, friends." Danielle hands both Jane and Andrea cards. "Look around, when my current model comes back you can watch me in action."

"Current model?" Danielle points towards her canvas at the unfinished painting. Tony's face is mostly done but Danielle was working on his ears, neck, and hair. "Good colors, is his chin really like that?"

"You'll see when he gets back." Danielle shows another painting to Jane. "This is an older one I did…" They talk about art when Tony comes back from the store.

"Hello ladies. Met some friends on the way back." Skaz and Lindsey follows him into the tent.

"Oh, hi Daria."

"You know her?" Tony opens a twelve pack of soda and hands a can to Lindsey.

"She's my roomie!" Lindsey's excitement doesn't affect Daria.

"You go to Raft? Why didn't you say so when I told you I went to Raft?" Daria catches a soda can that Tony throws to her.

"You didn't ask." He motions to Jane and Andrea and they shake their heads. "I know Lindsey isn't an artist so they must be your artist friends." Tony smiles at them as he walks over to a stool. "I did something right, get to spend my Saturday surrounded by women, and Skaz." Tony laughs at his joke, as does Lindsey and Skaz.

"Hmm, that face, it does match the painting." Jane had been studying Tom's face. "Although the hair could use more work."

"No, no, I don't want the hair to distract from the chin and the eyes. The hair is there but it isn't important." Danielle talks to Jane more about the painting and what she was planning on doing.

"Like I'm a piece of meat."

"Clay, to an artist you are a piece of clay, or a lump of paint, whatever they use to create their work." Andrea looks at the painting then back at Tony. "Not that I would use you. Your skin color is wrong for my work."

"See, a piece of meat." Tony sits down on the stool. "Danielle if you want to be with your kind I can take a break."

"Yes, I love talking with other artists." Tony gets off the stool and walks over to Daria, Lindsey, and Skaz.

"What classes do you take? I've never seen you at school." Daria stares at the back of Jane's head wondering how long this would take.

"Economics with Skaz. Our schedules vary so I've never got to meet you. At the party last night was hoping to meet you but Lindsey said your friends came up from, Dawnale?"

"Lawn…" Daria starts to answer then stops. Tony didn't need to know where she went to school. "Why were you hoping to meet me?"

"So I'd have someone to talk to. Skaz and Mike got me to go to the party since they didn't want me staying at my dorm room all weekend. Told them I was going to work at the Art Show today but they said I would have someone else to talk to while they partied." Tony sounds a little disappointed.

"Why don't you party?" Daria stops, she doesn't know why she's talking to him.

"Not my thing. Give me a book and some music playing not that crap they have now blasting while idiots drink and smoke."

"You don't drink?"

"Not enough to get drunk. A cup of beer is ok but why anyone would drink that much is stupid. You?"

"No."

"Yes you do Daria you drank the beer I gave you at the last party." Lindsey looks over to Jane and Andrea. "They don't and you don't want them to know?"

"I was thirsty and didn't have anything else to drink." Daria didn't want to admit she liked the beer. Tony was a stranger, Skaz and Lindsey annoyed her. Her only friend, Jane, was busy with Danielle. Daria walks over to Jane. "Jane, save me from them."

"What?" Jane didn't hear Daria.

"Never mind. Danielle, if you don't have to work why do you do this? Wouldn't it be easier to sell these things over the internet or something?"

"At first I liked being with other artists but these people are hardly artists. Most of them are from the zoo and try to act like a chimpanzee smearing paint on a flat surface is art. Or that man with his shit art. He won't speak to me anymore because I ridiculed him."

"Good for you." Andrea looks at another painting while Jane and Danielle continue to talk. Daria acts like she is part of the conversation to keep Lindsey, Skaz, or Tony from talking to her.

After awhile Danielle and Jane stop talking about art when Jane starts to feel hungry. "Daria, want to get something to eat?" They leave the tent with Andrea.

"Sure, where though?"

"You're the one living in Boston."

"Well, I don't know." Skaz and Lindsey come out of the tent with Tony behind them.

"Skaz, you know a good place to eat? We got pizza last night and want something different." Daria puts a hand on Jane's arm.

"Don't let them…" It was too late.

"Sure, Applebee's sounds good right now." Skaz turns to Tony. "Danielle cut you loose want to come?"

"Sure, can I ride with you so I don't have to take a cab again?" Skaz nods.

"I'm riding with Jane this time." Daria makes sure she stays close to Jane and Andrea as they walk back to the parking lot. They get in the different vehicles and Andrea follows Skaz to the Applebee's. "Do we have to eat with them?"

"Daria she's not that bad. I talked to her so she should know you a little better. Just give it time. You can't treat her like Britney. She has a brain and uses it."

"I know that Jane but you don't live with her. She is fine, most of the time, then she has these moments…" Daria puts her hands up like she was choking someone.

"And you don't? Daria you are my best friend but there were times I wanted to do that to. I usually had to drag you kicking and screaming even after I showed you why you should do whatever it was." Jane leans back in her seat so she could look at Daria's face. "Or is this about Tony?" She sees a reaction. "He's cute, that chin, reminds me of Trent's chin." Jane chuckles when Daria ignores her.

"Leave her alone Jane. If she doesn't want to…" Daria cuts Andrea off.

"Don't tell Jane what to do." Andrea looks at Jane.

"Protective of you isn't she?" Jane laughs. Daria stares at Andrea knowing Andrea did it to get a response from her. They get to the Applebee's and go inside.

"Table for six." A waitress leads the group to a table. They order drinks and look through the menu deciding what to get.

"Get what you want Lindsey I'm paying for you." Skaz is going through the lunch specials.

"What about me? I'm not pretty enough for you?" Tony bats his eyes at Skaz smiling.

"Unless you're willing to do the things Lindsey is…" Lindsey hits Skaz in the arm.

"We haven't done anything! Much…" She goes back to her menu. They order and talk while waiting for food. "So Jane, Andrea, you have boyfriends?"

"Uh, no." Jane rubs the back of her neck.

"Oh, why? A girl with your figure, if only I could keep mine like that." Lindsey squeezes her stomach and grabs a tiny bit of fat.

"I, uh, I'm not looking for that." Jane looks around the restaurant.

"Are you going to college?" Tony is looking at Jane studying her.

"I'm going to BFAC this winter." Jane looks out the window.

"What about you?" Tony smiles at Andrea.

"I go to a community college." Andrea holds Jane's hand under the table and squeezes it. "You go to Raft with Daria?"

"Sure do, don't have any classes with her though. My loss right?" Tony nudges Skaz in the side with his elbow.

"How did you get a job working for Danielle?" Skaz sees the three girls sitting across from him are getting uncomfortable by Tony's and Lindsey's questions.

"Ad in the newspaper. Needed a big strong man to carry things. Since you wouldn't do it I figured a scrawny medium sized man could do it." Tony turns around when he hears something. "Food, yummy." The waitress comes with the food and the group eats.

After they eat and talk some more they go out to their cars. "I need to drop Tony back off at the Art Show, if you guys want to do anything later we'll stop by the dorm room." Skaz opens the passenger door for Lindsey then goes to the driver side.

"No, today was enough." Daria wants to go back to her dorm room and work on her Creative Writing homework. She had ignored it the night before since she was hanging out with Jane and Andrea.

"Ok, I'll make sure Lindsey gets back tonight."

"I'll make sure of that. My bed is so much better then your floor."

"How would you know? You were passed out the second I laid you down." Skaz and Lindsey laugh. They get in Skaz's truck after Tony gets in the back seat. Jane, Andrea, and Daria go to Andrea's car.

"So Daria what are we doing tonight?"

"I am working on homework. You two can go to a party if you want."

"Come on Daria you can work on homework tomorrow." Jane leans back in the seat. "Why not go to a party? Are you scared you'll see Tony?"

"I do not want to go to a party. I went to one last week. I'm done for this semester."

"Hmm, one a semester, that does sound about right for you." Jane reaches out and nudges Daria. "What about Tony? He seems like fun."

"If he seems so fun why don't you go after him?"

"I see you only date them if you can take them from me." Jane looks at Andrea. "I don't think you're her type." Jane chuckles.

"That's not it. I came here for school not parties or boyfriends or anything else." Daria is getting annoyed. To many people she didn't know or like and now Jane was getting on her last nerve. She had to deal with strangers all week and now someone she knew was starting to push her over the edge. "I need to do my homework. Tomorrow aren't we going to the museum?"

"Maybe, Danielle was talking about letting us see some of her other work. She gave me direction to get to her house. Since I probably won't be making it back up here for awhile might go there instead."

"Then I won't be able to do my homework tomorrow will I?" Jane sets the seat back up. "Sorry Jane, I, it's been stressful."

"I get it Daria. Moving away from home, leaving your friends behind, dealing with college. It will probably get to me to." Even though Jane says she understands her mood doesn't change.

"Then pull that stick out of your ass before I do it for you. I was planning a quiet weekend where I would get my homework done and hope that Lindsey would be at a party or with Skaz so I could get some peace." Jane doesn't respond. The car ride back to the college is quiet.

At the college the three go to Daria's dorm room. "Daria, we'll watch TV while you do your homework ok?" Jane feels stupid for the way she was acting. She had surprised Daria and kept nagging her to go somewhere. But Jane has a feeling Daria is just being friendly not being a friend after Jane told her about her and Andrea. Daria said she didn't care but Jane doesn't believe it would be that easy. "Ok?"

"Yes Jane just leave me alone for about two hours. When I get everything done we can do anything you want ok?" Daria feels stupid about how she is acting. Jane came all the way up to see her. Jane told her something that she had apparently only told one other person, her brother. Jane and her were best friends but Daria wasn't acting like it. "I'll, I'll even call Skaz and see if he and Lindsey are going to a party later."

"Don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to." Jane turns away from Daria. "_Like being my friend."_ Jane shakes her head. She was seeing too much into this. Daria was stressed out, she was planning to do homework, Jane was the one to interfere with that. "Andrea anything good on TV?" She sits down in a lawn chair next to Andrea who is flipping through the channels.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Artists**

Daria wakes up and takes a shower. She comes out to find Lindsey and Jane talking about art. She goes to the mini fridge and gets orange juice out. "So Jane when do you want to do to Danielle's house?"

"You're going to her house?" Lindsey turns to Jane. "Tony said he was helping her at home today." Lindsey smiles and laughs a little.

"Oo la la. A chance for Daria and Tony to know each other better." Jane laughs when Daria gives her a death stare. "Later, Andrea is still sleeping, I think."

"She is." Daria made sure to step over her. "Danielle seems, she reminds me of Val."

"Val?" Lindsey was only partially listening but the name Val got her attention.

"You know, the editor of Val Magazine." Lindsey's eyes get wide at what Jane said.

"You know Val? Met her at some rich person party? Your mom being a lawyer and all you must have gone to plenty of those Miss Money Bags." Lindsey's mood turns sour.

"No Daria won a contest and the prize was being followed by Val for the day. She wrote an article afterwards, My Day With D."

"I think I remember that article." Lindsey thinks for a second. "Wait that was you!" Daria rolls her eyes and tries to ignore Lindsey. "Wow, you're almost famous."

"Almost. If I had killed Val then I would be infamous."

"Why would you hurt Val?" Daria sighs and gets a box of cereal out. "Oh, sarcasm. Why can't you just say things without sarcasm? People should say what they mean and not stupid stuff like that."

"Lindsey, its how Daria deals with the people around her. Especially the really stupid ones. Although they don't know that she was using sarcasm."

"That squeak still scares me in my sleep." Daria shudders at the thought of Brittany's voice.

"She got into college. I'm thinking more of Kevin."

"He was fun."

"Fun? Did you date Kevin?" Lindsey was lost by the conversation of old times at Lawndale High.

"No. He was someone we liked to talk to then try and figure out what he thought we meant. Right Daria?"

"More fun making Brittany think I was going after Kevin. Seeing the look on her face as she tried to think was terrifying."

"I was scared the one time when a black mess came out of her head. After awhile I figured it was black dye and not her brain when too much got on my shoe." Jane laughs.

"Let me guess, she was a cheerleader?" Jane nods. "I had one at my school she was really bursty. Although, I'm pretty sure her bursts were done." Jane laughs.

"See Daria she's not that bad." Daria goes and sits down on the floor between the lawn chairs ignoring the conversation. "Give her time Lindsey. She'll warm up to you."

"How long did it take for you to get her to talk to you?"

"A day. We were stuck in self esteem class and I had all the answers to get us out. She let me break through that shell of hers over pizza and once she saw my brother she found plenty of excuses to come over."

"Mmm, bet he's really good looking if Daria thought he was cute." Lindsey looks at Daria who seems really interested in her cereal. "Come on Daria, have a picture of him?"

"I do." Jane gets her wallet out and shows a picture to Lindsey.

"He is a bit of man meat. Sorry, shouldn't be talking about your brother like that." Lindsey hands the picture back to Jane. "How come you don't have a boyfriend? You seem pretty well adjusted and have looks. Do you diet or are you just lucky?"

"I'll take luck any day of the week. What about you?"

"I, we never really had enough, um, sorry." Lindsey becomes quiet.

"Thanks Jane." Daria was starting to get a headache. "When is Andrea waking up?"

"When she does. She might be awake already." Jane gets up and goes to Daria's room.

"Need to brush my teeth. Think I got some cereal stuck in the back." Lindsey picks at her teeth and walks towards the bathroom. "What the?!" She sees a sight she wasn't expecting. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, sorry." Lindsey walks back into the living room.

"What happened?" Daria turns around in the chair and sees Jane closing her door. "What, she was changing and you saw her?"

"Uh, Daria, did you know Jane and Andrea. Were, uh, of course you know you're friends, right?" Lindsey sits down in a lawn chair.

"You saw them? What were they doing?"

"Kissing. I, I didn't know, they don't act like it, you know?"

"I really don't care. If Andrea and Jane are happy with it then it's none of my business. I'm not about to get a bible out and condemn them to hell. As long as no one is hurt what two people do is their own business. Even if I thought it was wrong, which I don't," Jane comes out of Daria's room. "Who am I to tell them to stop? I'm not the…"

"Tell us to stop?" Jane stares at Daria. "Fine, me and Andrea will go so you don't have to tell us to stop!" Jane goes back to Daria's room.

"I didn't, you only heard part of it!" Daria puts her bowl of cereal down and goes back to her room. "Jane it isn't any of my business what you do and I…" Jane cuts Daria off.

"You're right! We're leaving, come on Andrea get up."

"Jane stop yelling I don't want to tell you to stop doing, that. It's not that I think what you're doing is wrong or right it's that I don't care. I'm not the morality police and even if I was I'm not about to tell two grown women what they can and can't do!"

"You've been treating me like I have leprosy or something ever since I told you. You don't want to go out and do anything, I had to drag you to the Art Sale yesterday and last night you locked yourself up in your room to avoid me!"

"I had homework to do and since we are going to Danielle's house today I wouldn't be able to do it now would I?! And think about it Jane, when have I ever gone to something without you dragging me or guilting me into it?"

"You went to Trent's gigs pretty easily. Were you just friends with me so you could get close to my brother?" Jane gets a hurt look on her face.

"Yes Jane because I'm such a man eater I'd use the only person I could stand talking to for more then five minutes to get one. Jane you're the only person I've ever had stay the night or stayed the night at. You're the only person I would put aside my common sense for and go to a party. Just because you're, that way, doesn't mean you've stopped being my friend." Daria's words seem to work as Jane's hurt look turns into a frown.

"You did steal my boyfriend, man eater."

"Boy eater, I wouldn't call Tom a man, unless he got you to do the dirty deed." Jane laughs.

"I already told you 11am on moving day is the day I lose my virginity." Jane looks at Andrea. "Can we break up for a few hours on moving day? So I don't feel like scum for cheating on you?" Andrea smiles a little then stops.

"We're not married Jane. I need a shower before we go to Danielle's. Excuse me Daria." Andrea figured Daria and Jane were good enough friends they would work it out and they had. Why she hadn't said or done anything.

"Still feel stupid?"

"Just kick the world out from under me." Jane sits down on Daria's bed. "I, I wasn't worried about Trent knowing. He's my brother, he has to love me, and I doubt he was awake enough to understand what I said."

"What time did you tell him?"

"Four in the afternoon."

"So he'd been awake for an hour? You should have waited longer." Daria sits down next to Jane. "I don't care if you're gay Jane. It just means I won't be able to steal any more of your dates." Daria gives a very rare smile.

"You might just to get back at me for being so stupid." Jane smiles. "I'm sorry Daria that I yelled at you."

"Andrea's not my type, women are crazy." Jane makes a weird face. "What?"

"You don't smell that? I really need a shower." Jane sniffs her armpit. "Really need one. Now that Lindsey knows I might just share one with Andrea."

"Don't, there isn't enough room for one person. And just because I don't care what you do doesn't mean I want to know what you're doing. All the times I walked in on you and Tom was creepy enough."

"You were just learning how he liked to be kissed before you tried it out yourself." Jane nudges Daria on the arm. "Ready to go to Danielle's?"

"I'm not getting in an enclosed space with you until you get a shower." Jane grabs clothes and waits for Andrea to finish her shower before going in and taking one.

"So you and Jane make up?" Andrea uses a hand mirror to apply black lipstick and other makeup.

"I just want you to know I don't care that you and Jane are, together, and stuff. I don't know why she was upset."

"_Daria said this, Daria said that, Daria made Kevin think and now he has a head ache."_ Andrea does a bad impersonation of Jane. "She loves you Daria like you were a sister."

"No, I don't think she would come and visit them, willingly." Andrea laughs.

"You know what I mean. Your opinion matters to her more then anyone else's. I've had to fight for attention competing with you. It was nice I admit when you and Jane hated each other. Well, when she hated you. I had someone to talk to besides my ceiling. When you two made up I got shafted again. When you moved here Jane called me and we went to concerts, did things together again." Andrea sighs. "Nothing against you Daria but its hard to compete with you."

"Compete?" Daria is getting nervous about the conversation.

"Jane talks about you all the time. I've found a way to shut her up but when I can't do that it's hard to get anything done if it doesn't involve what you did or what you said."

"Oh, well, sorry about that?" Daria doesn't know what to say or do.

"Glad you accept Jane's decision. My parents, I haven't been allowed to sit at the kitchen table for months." Andrea frowns. "Damn myopic ingrates."

"It's the year 2002. Hell, even if it wasn't as long as it doesn't involve little kids or hurting someone why should it be anyone else's business what you do?"

"Thanks Daria, I knew Jane shouldn't have been so worried." Andrea goes to the living room to get something to drink.

"Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Lindsey looks at her feet interested in her socks suddenly.

"Don't act like that you'll only make Jane mad." Andrea rolls her eyes as she gets a can of soda from the mini fridge and walks back to Daria's room.

Jane finishes her shower and changes into clean clothes. "Ready if you are Daria."

"Do I have to go? This sounds like artists time and I'm not an artist."

"Come on Daria Tony will be there to keep you company." Jane smiles at her. "Or we could tell him to leave the artists alone. I'll say you make sculptures out of guano if he asks what type of art you do."

"If it wasn't going to be months until the next time I see you I would come to my senses and say no." Daria, Jane, and Andrea leave the dorm room. "Whose car are we taking?"

"Your car Daria. I'm driving back home tonight and need to save on gas." Andrea opens the dorm building door for Jane and Daria.

"Jane sits in the front seat with the map. She gave you directions right?" Jane nods. "So we just need to follow them and get lost for awhile."

"We're not getting lost Daria."

"I don't know Boston, or Reno, or any place around here."

"If you can't turn right or left when I tell you then we deserve to get lost." They get to Daria's car and she unlocks the doors. The three teens get inside and Daria starts the engine. "Back up, turn right, stop at the stop sign, then go to the exit."

"I know how to leave the parking lot Jane."

"Just helping you out since you said you didn't know Boston, or Reno, or any place around here." They are able to leave the parking lot without farther directions from Jane. "Right," Jane gives direction to Daria.

After nearly an hour the three arrive in front of a large house. "Whoa, it reminds me of Tom's house." They park in front of the building. "That is a house right? Not a Church?"

"No, a Church would have the screaming of eight year old boys and the grunts of old men wearing collars."

"Not all Priests rape children. Didn't you see the Sick Sad World episode Improper Love Boat? I think we watched it together Jane"

"Ok so some are too old to get it up." Jane gets out of Daria's car. "Daria doesn't this remind you of Tom's house?"

"Cold, rich, snobbish, it's exactly like Tom's house." They walk up to the front door. "Do we knock or wait for the trap door to drop out from under us?" Daria knocks on the door.

"Come in! Unless you're selling something!" Daria opens the door and they walk in.

"Marble floors, marble pillars, I'm willing to bet that's a real Monet." Jane walks over to a painting hanging on the wall. "Why is she selling paintings when she can buy ones like this?"

"Oh you like my third wedding gift." Danielle comes from another room over to the three teens.

"You know the order that you got your wedding gifts?"

"No, I know which failed marriage got me more loot." She smiles. "Jane, Andrea, and Daria, welcome to my home."

"So Sloan like."

"Sloan? As in Michel and Marie Sloan?" Danielle looks at Jane waiting for an answer.

"Tom has an aunt and uncle with those names. You can't know them. They live all the way up at the cove."

"That old hell hole? My family and the Sloan family are old friends going all the way back to when they had slave fights for entertainment."

"You're not serious are you Aunt Danny? Tell the…" Someone comes from the back where Danielle was. "Oh, Daria, and her friends." Tony looks at the three with a terrified look on his face. "I, I thought you were, um, from home."

"Aunt Danny? I thought you said you were helping _Ms. Thomas_ yesterday." Daria stares at him.

"I, uh, well I don't want people to know that I'm, rich."

"You aren't rich Tony your parents are loaded." Danielle laughs at her joke.

"I finally got away from that private school and away from all those pompous assholes. I got away from Dayton so I could be with people who didn't know me and would like me for me and not my family's money. But, I heard you talking, you know Tom, he's like me."

"Rich? If you didn't want people to know you had money you're not hiding it to well are you?" Jane raises an eyebrow. "Unless you want us to know."

"I thought you were um, someone else. Aunt Danny didn't you say you had friend's coming?"

"I do, Jane and Andrea are fellow artists and Daria has a wonderful soul."

"Soul?" Daria looks at the bottom of her boots. "These soles are pretty worn." Danielle chuckles.

"And a wonderful sense of humor. How did you know the Sloan's again?"

"I dated him for awhile." Jane looks over at Daria who doesn't volunteer information. "Daria was friends with him to."

"Tom Sloan, he wasn't too bad. Met him at the rich shin digs our families loved to have. Thinking about it, hey, he said he was dating an artist, a tall good looking artist." Tony looks at Jane. "He was right."

"Flattery will get you everywhere but I'm seeing someone."

"Oh well, still got two other lovely ladies." Tony laughs. "Glad you came Daria. I thought maybe I could show you around while the artists get into shop talk."

"What makes you think I'm not an artist?"

"Lindsey told me." Daria's stare doesn't affect Tony's enthusiasm. "But I'd like to get to know you better without having to talk to her. She scares me sometimes with how she reacts to things."

"I don't think I'd like you to know me better."

"Come on Daria you don't want to stick around and listen to us babble."

"Jane you said you'd…" Daria knows she's been crossed by Jane. "You bitch." Jane laughs.

"You're going to have to get a boyfriend on your own now that you can't take mine."

"I don't want a boyfriend, I'm, you made a mistake Jane." Daria takes her car keys out of her pocket. "I drove here I can drive back and leave you here."

"I'd give the lovely ladies a ride on my way back. Then I'd have to walk them to your dorm room to make sure they got there safely."

"Threats don't work on me."

"Guilt does." Daria stares at Jane. "Daria it's not like he's going to bite."

"_Don't say it."_ Daria's thoughts fill her mind. "_Don't be that stupid."_

"Even if I did I promise I don't have rabies."

"_At least he didn't say he wouldn't bite hard."_ Daria shakes her head. "Fine. I'll leave you three artists alone." She walks over to Tony. "If you start to annoy me I'll make sure you'll regret it."

"If it means you'll stick around I have no problem with that."

"No, I'll sic Lindsey on you." Daria and Tony leave the three artists to their trade and walk to the back of the house.

"I got Zombie Army Exodus on my Game Station." They walk into a living room with a large couch and even bigger TV. "Well, on Aunt Danny's Game Station. She loves playing this thing and borrows it from me all the time."

"She's a little old for Game Station isn't she?"

"She said she's done living how the family expects her to live after her fourth marriage ended. She does what she wants how she wants when she wants. She's got the money and she's my fav so not going to argue with that." Tony sits down on the couch but Daria doesn't. "I don't have cooties and I'm not going to attack you or something. Sit down, relax, maybe something good is on." Tony grabs a remote and turns the TV on.

"You're acting differently now that we're away from everyone else." Daria sits down but keeps an eye on Tony.

"I figure I don't have to act like that around you. My Aunt Danny, or Skaz and Lindsey, they expect me to act a certain way."

"How long have you known Skaz?"

"Uh, a week. He sits next to me in Economics." Tony flips through the channels until he finds the SSW Channel. "I've found acting like a hyper happy guy makes people like you more then acting like myself so I do."

"Why? Who cares what others think?"

"I do. If I need help with something and everyone hates me I'm screwed. Make friends with everyone and I'll always have someone who can help me. Although it does have negative side effects like friends dragging me to party's." Tony laughs a little. "Small world, Jane knows Tom. I'm guessing you do to then."

"Uh, yeah, we got to know each other."

"He was an ok guy. Gave me someone to talk to that didn't want me to turn a fork into a deadly weapon at those stupid parties. Rich people talking to rich people is like two robots beeping at each other but less interesting."

"His family wasn't that bad if you avoided them." They watch TV for awhile when Jane and Andrea come into the living room.

"Well hey she didn't kill him. You cost me five bucks Daria." Jane hands money to Andrea.

"What's going on? My Aunt talk you ladies to death or what?" Tony mutes the TV. "Sorry about you losing a bet but Daria has been nothing but an angel." Tony puts on his act.

"No, Danielle got hungry and wanted to know if you wanted something to eat." Tony looks at Daria.

"What do you want?"

"Pizza, cheese fries, the usual."

"Tell her to make up the teen special. She knows what that means." Tony turns the sound back on.

"These two were kissing in the tree, a crime against nature or the next step towards marriage? Fowl Feline Marriages next on Sick Sad World." Jane and Andrea walk away.

"Repeat. Daria, why did you choose Raft?"

"That came from nowhere." Daria thinks about it though. "Well, I tried Bromwell but not even a letter of recommendation from the Sloan's could get me in. Raft was my second choice, my last choice. Anywhere else would have been because I had to go somewhere."

"My dad built a building at Bromwell so I could have gotten in but those people just act so, snobby isn't right," Daria knows what is.

"They act like their shit doesn't smell and that we peons should know our place in the world. Tom's going there though so not all Bromwell students act like that."

"Really? Carrying on the Sloan family tradition. My dad nearly threw a fit when I said I wasn't going to Bromwell but I told him I didn't want to get into a college because he built them a building but because the school wanted me. He thought that was a great idea and I would change my mind after awhile."

"Are you? I could probably transfer to Bromwell after a year at Raft, not that I would." _Anymore…_

"Hell no I like Raft. No one knows who I am, no one wants to be friends because my family is rich, and I don't get creped out over going into a building named after my dad."

"According to Tom it was just a wing, not a whole building."

"Whatever. Please don't tell Skaz or Lindsey about this. Lindsey seems to hate anyone with money and Skaz is a nice guy, smart, reminds me of Tom. I don't want him to turn into everyone else who finds out I have more in my bank account then both their parents."

"I avoid talking to both of them so I doubt the topic will come up." Daria looks at him strangely. "Why are you so open with me?"

"You knew Tom and I know he wouldn't be friends with someone who annoyed him. He wouldn't hang out with people who just liked him for his money. And he has good taste in women." Tony laughs. "Wonder why they broke up."

"Actually Tom and I dated for awhile." Daria didn't want to tell him the whole story and hopes this answers why Tom and Jane broke up.

"Really? And Jane, guy was more of a womanizer then I thought."

"It wasn't like that. Tom and Jane dated for awhile then got bored with each other. Before they officially broke up we kissed and things went to hell." Daria shakes her head not knowing why she just told Tony this.

"Sounds like a soap opera. If you don't mind I'd rather not hear all the details."

"I don't want to tell you the details. It is strange that you know him, and your family is old friends with the Sloan's."

"I don't think it's that strange. Most rich people go to the same rich person schools where they meet each other. Most rich people live in the same rich people neighborhoods after college. It does make them a bit blue blooded, can't let the outsiders in and get their peon hands on the mold, I mean money."

"You don't like being rich? How about sending some of that money to a charity so you don't have so much of it."

"There's nothing wrong with being rich it just seems that money makes people act differently. If they acted like everyone else and everyone treated them like everyone else there wouldn't be a problem. They act like they are special and people enforce that by treating them special. Ever see a rich man go to jail? No, only poor people go to jail. Rich people get to go to rehab because it was the drugs that made him rape children. They pay their debt to society by donating millions to the Governor or get community service for petty things like murder."

"Tell me how you really feel." Daria didn't really care but the Sick Sad World episode was a repeat and this was more interesting.

"A poor man gets caught with a tenth of an ounce of weed and goes to jail for twenty years while some Hollywood rich bimbo gets caught selling coke at a Hollywood party and they go to rehab for a couple of weeks. A poor man steals food from a store owned by a billionaire to feed his family and he goes to jail. The same billionaire that owns the store steals millions from the retirement funds of its American workers while using child slave labor in Africa and they get a commendation from the President on their outstanding work on keeping his bank account up."

"Not all rich people do that. You don't, Tom doesn't, and Oprah doesn't." Daria eggs Tony on.

"One percent of the top one percent isn't something to be proud of. Only reason I'm taking economics instead of music as a major is so I can take over my dad's company when he retires and maybe, just maybe, do some good in this world."

"Music? Instrument or vocal?"

"Both. I can play guitar, and piano, and drums, and the accordion."

"Accordion?"

"Teaches you how to play both ends against the middle." Tony laughs at his joke. "That and accordion music annoys parents more then the guitar. I did thorough experiments to prove my theory."

"What's that smell?" Daria turns towards the door and sees Jane and Andrea coming in with food.

"Cheese fry pizza." Tony stands up and helps Jane and Andrea set the food down on the coffee table. "The teen special, mixes the best of both into the ultimate food."

"I thought rich people only ate escargot or caviar." Andrea grabs a slice and puts it on a paper plate.

"Most rich people do. My Aunt doesn't waste money on that crap. Did you know there is caviar that can be sold at over a thousand dollars an ounce? Its damn fish eggs and they charge more for an ounce then gold." Tony gets a slice and puts it on a paper plate. "Want a piece Daria?"

"Sure." Daria takes the plate from Tony. "Your Aunt the black sheep of the family?"

"No. Her grandmother loved her because she wasn't a stuck up snob and got most of the Slate family fortune."

"Slate?"

"Most of them married into the Sloan family but some married into the Thomas family. That money is probably the only reason the rest of the Thomas family keeps in contact with her. Hope she croaks and leaves them the money."

"What about you?" Jane bites down on a piece of cheese fry pizza.

"I really don't care. I'll be made a CEO by my dad then VP and eventually President of Thomas, Bracket, & Corrine when he retires."

"You sound thrilled about it."

"Once I'm President of the company things will change. If I was more ambitious I'd have the current VP have an accident so I could get up the ladder faster."

"You don't need him to have an accident. Just plant some animal pornography on his computer and _leak_ it out. No one wants a guy who literally loves horses representing their company." Andrea grabs a napkin to wipe her hands.

"You've thought about that haven't you?" Jane grabs a napkin to wipe off a piece of cheese that had fallen on her shirt.

"Ms. Li never pushed me that far." Andrea takes another slice.

"Maybe I could hire you for a think tank after I graduate." Tony smiles at Andrea but she doesn't look at him.

"Think tank, I'd rather use a real tank. Scare them into changing the world how you want it to be. Works a lot better then diplomacy, just ask the Iraqis, the ones not firebombed."

"You're political? I can't wait until the next presidential election. Finally get to vote."

"On electronic voting machines owned by the party that won the last election after more people voted for them then actually live in this country." Tom laughs.

"You're being serious? Everyone knows God wanted them to win so he sent angels down to vote." Andrea laughs a little. "Maybe I should run for president. Lie to WieBold so they rig the election for me then have them all arrested for corruption, after giving myself a presidential pardon."

"You're not a crook." Jane imitates Nixon. "You're such optimists about our election system."

"I'm optimistic that sooner or later the American people will rise up and overthrow the carpetbaggers in office."

"They have fat butts?" Everyone looks at Daria. "Damn, I forgot everyone here took an IQ test and it came up positive." Now they laugh.

"Daria, Tony, Danielle wants to do a painting and I think you'd be perfect for it." Daria and Tony give a cold stare at Jane. "Come on we're all seeing someone but you."

"Give it up Jane." Tony's tone of voice is dark. "I mean, Daria is planning on being the crazy cat lady and dating a future CEO would mean a bigger house for the cats but she wouldn't be as crazy." His voice goes back to normal.

"Maybe Skaz and Lindsey could do it if Danielle can stand them for that long." Andrea stands up with her dirty paper plate and napkin. "Garbage?"

"Here, I'll take it." Tony takes the plate and napkin from Andrea. "Ladies?" Jane and Daria hand Tony their plates. "If I come back and find you girls having a pillow fight or watching 90210 I'm kicking you out." Tony leaves the three.

"Really Daria I'm surprised you two didn't kill each other." Jane sits down on the couch next to Daria. "Sorry about leaving you alone with him."

"He's not that bad when other people aren't around. Once the TV is on he becomes someone I can deal with." Daria was fascinated with how he changed so quickly from himself to the act he puts on for people.

"Brain dead?" Jane picks up the remote and flips through the channels. "It's already five? Trent will be getting up soon and we need to be leaving. Long drive back to Lawndale."

"Five?" Daria checks her watch. "Time flies when you're comatose. "Um, it was nice that you came out here this weekend."

"Eating pizza here beats eating pizza back at Lawndale. Kevin's been wandering the city lost now that he's not in high school."

"Ms. Li wasn't allowed to keep him? Football season isn't over."

"Lawndale already won six games so the school board felt it was ok to let Kevin graduate. I heard it took several awards and donations to get the schedule changed so Lawndale could play the hard schools back to back so they could let Kevin go."

"Is he going to college or is he going straight to the pros?" Daria sighs as she thinks about the millions Kevin would make as she struggled through college.

"I heard he was going to college. My Father's the teacher at Barrington and he heard after the Barrington Bengal's lost two games they called Kevin's father about Kevin going to their school on a full scholarship." Andrea shakes her head thinking about how her Father would tear into Kevin and hoped he would record it for her.

"We have to be going."

"What's with the sad scene?"

"We have to go back. It was nice being able to talk with your Aunt and eat her food."

"Where you going back to?"

"Lawndale." Jane and Andrea say it at the same time.

"Oh. Well ladies, you have a safe trip back. Next time you come out I'll make sure to be at my Aunt's to talk to you."

"Won't have to wait to long Jane is going to BFAC this winter." And Andrea would be left in Lawndale. "Where's Danielle?"

"Where did you leave her? She was working on a new painting but stopped when you got here."

"The one she was showing me and Andrea?" Jane and the others walk out of the living room and walk through the house getting to another room with three glass walls and ceiling.

"Oh hello I hope the pizza was good." Danielle is painting with both hands.

"They have to go back."

"Oh darn. Jane I was wondering if I should use pastels or primaries." Jane looks at the painting.

"Both."

"You're right. It was nice to meet and talk to two artists who don't consider crying clowns fine art." Danielle smiles at Jane and Andrea. "And you Daria, Jane told me all about her best friend. You can always come over when school gets too much. I heard you are a writer, would love to read your work."

"Uh, not now. I have homework, still, and will have more later." Daria didn't want to just blow Danielle off.

"Daria we have to go. By the time we get back to Raft it will be after six." Andrea was the only one who could drive her car since Jane didn't know how to drive a stick. An eight hour drive back was not going to be fun.

"Ok, bye Danielle, and Tony." Daria sees Tony's face change into several expressions then goes back to the mask.

"I'll see you at school Daria but I will miss your friends." Tony smiles. "To be surrounded by such lovely women is nice but you must be going."

"Yes, come on Jane, Andrea." Daria and the other two leave the house and go to her car. "That was terrifying."

"It was fun Daria admit it. Tony's really cute and he's smart and if he is friend's with Tom he can't be that bad."

"I'm not to sure about him. He, you wouldn't know." _He's scary._ Daria shakes her head. "I'll make sure to go fast so you can start going back to Lawndale before dark."

"Wanting to go back to Lawndale, scary." Jane and Andrea relax on the drive back.

When they get to Raft Daria parks next to Andrea's car. "If you want I can go and get your things so you don't have to go all the way to my dorm room and back."

"No, no Daria I'll come with you." Jane turns to Andrea. "You can stay here."

"Ok Jane." Andrea goes to her car while Jane and Daria go to Daria's dorm room. They go in and go back to Daria's room.

"Thanks Jane for not listening to me."

"Thanks Daria for listening to me. It sucked not being able to go and get pizza with you and being worried that, well, you would not like me because of, you know."

"Jane, get over it. You're the only real friend I made in high school. I talked to Jodie some but I didn't really consider a friend. If we can get through the Tom thing I don't think you liking girls would make me hate you."

"The Tom thing was your fault." Jane looks at Daria. "Normally I would hug you good bye but, well, um…" Daria does something strange, she hugs Jane.

"As long as you don't start hitting on me we'll be fine." She lets go. "What day do you go to BFAC?"

"December nine. I might come up before then or you could come to Lawndale."

"Thanksgiving is just a couple months away." Daria gives Jane a rare smile. "Get back to Lawndale so I have someone to call after school tomorrow."

"Ok Ms. Morgendorffer." Jane grabs two bags and walks to the door of the dorm room. "You could walk me back to the car."

"I have homework still since I used my weekend to hang out with you, and Andrea." Jane leaves the dorm room. "Homework, have to get math done." Daria goes back to her room and works on homework as Jane and Andrea go back to Lawndale.

**A/N This chapter has a TON of references to past episodes of Daria. From Season 1 to Is It College Yet I have about 40 of this chapter referring back to Daria the show and movies. If you've seen the episodes and movies you will get the jokes and things but if you haven't you might not get some of them, most of them.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Mask**

Daria is sitting in her creative writings class reading a book. Others were working on the assignment, to write an action story, but she was doing the story on her computer. She feels a tap on her shoulder. "Hey, are you done with your story?"

"I'm doing it on my computer." Daria turns around and sees it is a girl, blonde, with glasses. She is wearing a blue tank top with matching blue skirt.

"Um, you know that you have to write it out, she won't accept it if you just print it out." Daria sets her book down.

"What?"

"I already asked her and she told me we have to write it out with a pen and paper. It sucks but those are her rules."

"This is the new millennium, to actually write a story on pen and paper, cruel and unusual hell." The girl laughs.

"I thought so to but rules are rules." The girl goes back to her story as Daria curses the teacher. She had most of the story done, on her computer, but now would have to write it out.

"I'm going to have a long night." Daria continues to read figuring there was nothing she could do until she got back to her dorm room.

After classes Daria goes to her dorm room. "Cola, ice, gloves, hammer. I'm set to smash my hand so I have an excuse not to write my story by hand." Daria walks to the back of the dorm room to her bedroom when she hears the dorm room door open. She turns around and sees Lindsey walking in with Skaz.

"Hi Daria, want to go and see a movie? They got Boondocks Saints 2 playing."

"Homework." Daria ignores the two as she opens her door and closes it behind her.

"I thought maybe her friends would have made her be nicer but I guess not." Lindsey pouts that Daria is acting like she had been.

"Not to be mean but I was surprised she had good enough friends to come here. She, she isn't anti-social she just doesn't seem to like anyone unless they fit the mold she made. Amazing she found two people to fit that mold."

"They were both artists to even though Daria isn't. Isn't that a little weird?" Lindsey hadn't told Skaz what she had seen and wasn't going to. "I wonder if Tom was an artist."

"You could ask her but that would probably annoy her. Let's go see the movie ok Lindsey?" Skaz leans down and whispers in her ear. "Mike said he was going somewhere with a girl so my dorm room will be empty when the movie is over."

"I have homework, but, most of it isn't due until Friday." Lindsey kisses Skaz and they leave the dorm room.

A couple of hours later Daria walks out of her room going to the mini fridge. "Why didn't I smash my hand?" She pulls the ice tray out and puts her right hand in it. "Cramps." Her hand felt like it was going to fall off but she was close to getting her story done. "Have to take a break, it isn't due for awhile, why am I pushing myself?" It wouldn't be due for more then a week but what else did she have to do? Jane was in Lawndale, Tom was at Bromwell. She was a woman on an island, unless she wanted to go out and mingle with the masses of college students. Daria goes over to the phone and picks it up, then sets it down. "Come on Daria, Jane won't surprise you every weekend. Go out there and find someone you don't want to poison." Daria sighs and puts the ice tray away. "Now I can't feel my hand." The ice had made it numb. "It must have made my brain numb if I'm thinking about going outside." Daria looks at the door to her bedroom and the door of her dorm room. "Hell alone or hell with people?" She decides she couldn't deal with any more writing for awhile." She leaves her dorm room.

A few minutes later Skaz and Lindsey walk into the dorm room. "I can't believe his date blew him off, sorry."

"This gives me time to do homework so I'll have more time to spend with you this weekend. You get any better in English Lit?"

"No, ask Daria to help you with that. Give me math or give me history." Skaz and Lindsey laugh at the joke.

"Daria?" Lindsey calls for Daria but no one answers. "Wait here Skaz." Lindsey walks over to Daria's room and knocks on the door, no answer. She opens the door and finds the room is empty. "Hmmm, Daria's not here." Lindsey closes the door and goes back to Skaz. "Daria's not here Skaz." Skaz's eyebrows rise.

"How long do you think she'll be gone?"

"She might have gone to get something to eat, or maybe your friend Tony called her and convinced her to go somewhere." Lindsey puts a hand on Skaz's chest. "How about we stop talking and you find a better use for that mouth?" Lindsey and Skaz kiss as they go to her room.

Daria goes across the campus not sure where she's going. Jane had told her to make friends, new ones, but that was easier said then done. "Where would I find someone who wouldn't annoy me or bore me?" She looks around. "Astronomy? To much time with your head in the clouds and that's dangerous with all the airplanes flying around." She looks at another building. "Band? To noisy and to formal with those uniforms." She goes to another building. "Art, Jane is an artist, but she's one in a million. Ok, one in about seventeen." Daria shakes her head. "I have to do this or I'll be stuck with Lindsey on weekends." Daria walks over to the art building and walks in. She is hit with the fumes of paint and paint thinner. To most this would cause nausea but Daria had gotten use to it when she was at Jane's. "Damn, what do I do? Make an application?" Daria walks down the main hall and sees an open door. She looks in and sees several college students painting.

"Pastels are passé, primaries are prime." A tall male student is working on a painting of a mountain scene.

"Another mountain Dantanius? Do you paint anything else?" A brunette girl shows Dantanius what she is working on.

"Death? How about a mountain in the shape of a skull? Have the outline of the eyes as caves…" They continue talking about art as Daria looks around the room nervous. Jane had gone to her, she had talked to her. Daria wouldn't have been friends with her if Jane hadn't done that.

"Are you looking for someone?" Daria jumps when someone had walked behind her.

"Uh, I was, looking for a friend. They're not here, I'm going to go back, sorry." Daria walks away and leaves the building. "Stupid, at least I didn't lie." Daria hurries back to her dorm room. "I don't remember turning the TV on," Daria hears noises coming from the dorm room. She unlocks the door and walks in when she realizes where the sounds are coming from. "Eep!" She hurries back out of the room. "What the hell were they doing? I thought they were going back to Skaz's room." Daria shakes her head trying to get the images that have been planted in her head out. "Hell out there or make a suicide pact with myself and go back in there." Daria hears a squeal coming from the dorm room and runs away.

"Skaz stop it!" Skaz was tickling Lindsey. They had been doing homework since they didn't know when Daria would come back and did not want her to walk in with them doing anything. "Skaz!" Lindsey's voice is getting higher and higher as she starts to laugh harder and harder. Her voice turns into a high pitched unintelligible squeal as Skaz continues to tickle her.

"Now what do I do?" Daria wasn't going back to her dorm room until hell froze over but she had nowhere else to go. "Damn." Daria walks down the hall and decides to go to the library and maybe find a book to read.

At the library Daria finds _Born In Death_ and sits down to read it. After a couple chapters someone taps her on the shoulder. She turns around, and no one is there. She goes back to her book when she feels the tap on her shoulder again. She turns around and catches a glimpse of movement. She quickly turn her head the other way and catches the person. "Tony?"

"Caught me, just when I was starting to have fun." Tony sits down next to Daria. "I'm usually able to get the person six or seven times before they get frustrated and get up."

"I'm too lazy to get up." Daria sighs and goes back to the book.

"I haven't seen you here before what's wrong?"

"Nothing, don't you have something to do?" Daria tries to ignore Tony.

"No, I finished my homework."

"Did you get the list?" Daria is referring to a list given at the beginning of the school year that had a list of what the homework would be. This way if a student became sick they would not fall behind since they would know what was to be done. Some students would get a month done just so the have more time to party but most students did as little as possible until it was due.

"Yeah and I got a lot of it done. When you have no life it's easy to get a lot done."

"No life? Don't Skaz and Lindsey drag you to parties?"

"Sometimes. But during the school week I have nothing else to do. Not worried about getting a job since, you know. Last week I got most of my science done for the year."

"Then work on your English Lit."

"That's next on my list."

"Why are you here?" Daria is getting more and more annoyed by Tony.

"Why are you here?"

"Skaz and Lindsey are at the dorm room." Daria gives him a look that almost transfers the images she had in her head.

"Oh." Tony shakes a little. "Why'd you have to put that in my head?" He sighs. "What the hell." He doesn't do anything.

"What? You have a thought and lost it?"

"No, I don't know why I did that to you, sorry." Now Daria is really confused. This confusion replaces her annoyance.

"I should know better then to do that to you, the shoulder tapping. I had to refill just to get through last week and am low on it again." Daria is still confused. "I'll leave you alone."

"No, stay. It's either talk to you or go back, there." Daria shakes a little in disgust.

"Born in Death? Never read it, is it any good?"

"Just started it. Someone dealing in the underground baby market kills someone who was catching on. I'm guessing it's the last person you'd suspect that did it." Daria puts the book down. "Are you ok? You, you were acting hyper and not like this."

"You wouldn't understand Daria." Daria sees his left eye twitch. "My Father, image is everything. What you do when you're young will come back and bite you on the ass so you must present the image of openness and friendliness."

"Is that why you act like this?" Tony shakes his head, then nods. "You're a confusing person."

"Daria, if I tell you something, promise not to tell anyone?"

"I guess, as long as it isn't about the Herpes you got off the toilet seat."

"I didn't know you could get them off of toilet seats I always thought I got them because the doctor didn't use new gloves when he was giving me my physical." Neither Tony nor Daria laugh. "Promise not to tell anyone?" Daria nods. "I'm on some serious medication. I tried quitting but can't I just can't handle not being on them all these years."

"Well you just, why, what are you planning?" Daria is getting a bad feeling from Tony.

"I'm not planning anything but why, why am I telling you? I've been acting for so long and I've charmed everyone I met. But you, just watching you with your friend Jane, your friend Andrea, I could tell you were different. You are what I'd be if I could be myself instead of act."

"A woman?" Daria is trying to ease the mood.

"Normal, well, not like this. I hate people like you but admire and wish I could be like you. You don't put on an act. You don't mask your feelings or thoughts to get along with others. After all they did to me I can never be like you. Have you, have your parents, ever made you see a psychiatrist?" Tony waits a moment for a response. "Sorry I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, I did, when I was young. They were worried when I wouldn't talk to other kids. They just didn't understand…"

"They didn't have anything to say that interested you." Tony has finished Daria's sentence knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Did they make you do anything more?"

"No, in high school I had to take a self esteem class but I met Jane there so it wasn't that bad." Tony looks away. "What did your parents do to you?"

"You asked me a serious question, I'm making progress." Tony smiles. "After the medication they did 'therapy' that is probably illegal."

"What drugs are you on? Damn, I was lucky enough my Mom and Dad were hippies and didn't believe in using drugs," Tony raises and eye brow. "Made by The Man." Daria shakes her head and tries to figure out what was going on. Tony sits down and reveals a bunch of things to her when she didn't even really like him. "What are you doing? I mean, you just tell me all of this, I don't get why you're dropping your act around me."

"You don't? Daria I won't tell you, you should know."

"Give me a hint?" Tony doesn't reply. "Hey, Tony…" Now Tony responds.

"It's more then you being what I wish I could be. Honest, witty, sarcastic, all the things that I would never be allowed to be. I, after all the things I've dealt with over the years I can tell things about people they don't even know. One of the few things I appreciate from my father." Tony smiles at Daria. "That enough of a hint?"

"I, I think I'd rather, um, I have homework to do back at my dorm room." Daria pushes away from the table and stands up. She walks away confused and a little scared. Tony appeared to be smart but the way he acted, it was scary. "Damn, I forgot the book." Daria turns around and goes back to the library. She finds the book and notices Tony is gone. "Is he stalking me?" Daria looks around, the library is quiet. "What the hell is wrong with him?" Daria quickly leaves the library wondering if Tony was watching her or if she was just getting paranoid. She goes to her dorm room and goes in. She finds Skaz and Lindsey in the living room. "Um, hi."

"Hi Daria, where'd you go?" Lindsey sees Daria make a weird face. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I, I went to the library."

"Library? You see Tony?" Skaz's question catches Daria off guard.

"How did you know Tony was there?"

"He hangs out there a lot. I'm not sure why and won't find out, the library is like kryptonite." Daria can't hide the look on her face. "Daria are you ok?"

"How well do you know Tony?"

"We talk during economics, sometimes hang out after class, why?"

"I think Daria has a crush!" Lindsey gets out of the lawn chair. "But you don't want to admit it. How cute."

"I do not have a crush on Tony. He just said some really weird things that, I can't say."

"Lindsey could you go to your room for a minute? I want to talk to Daria." Lindsey looks at Skaz who winks at her.

"Oh, ok." Lindsey goes to her room.

"Skaz I don't have a crush on Tony."

"What did he say? What did he do? He's said some strange things when we were alone but then he, he changes." Skaz whispers to make sure Lindsey doesn't hear. "I tried to look in his medicine cabinet but I only found regular stuff."

"You think he's on drugs?"

"I don't know, maybe, but he changes sometimes. I don't think he'd do drugs since he won't even drink a beer but maybe that's because a lot of those drugs they have out there can't be taken with alcohol."

"I promised Tony I wouldn't tell anyone what he told me but Skaz, keep an eye on him. I don't know what's wrong with him but I don't think he's stable."

"Stable? He won't like, snap and do a Columbine, will he? Maybe we should…" Daria stops him.

"No. Just keep an eye on Tony and keep him away from me."

"I guess I could do that." Skaz rubs the back of his neck. "Don't tell anyone I told you about how Tony changes."

"If you've noticed I'm sure others have to." Daria goes to her room to do work on her story.

The next day after classes Daria decides she can't sit in her room and do homework. If she kept this up she'd have the whole semesters work load done by the end of the month. She leaves the dorm building and walks over to the art building. "You can do this Daria, they're Jane's, lots of Jane's that you don't know." Daria walks in and goes to the room she had been at the day before.

"Come on Elena I think you'd be a great model for a painting." She sees a new male artist and the same female artist from yesterday.

"In your dreams John." The girls laughs and turns around seeing Daria. "Hi there, you don't look familiar, what grade are you in?"

"Um, freshman, I don't take art I was just, um, I don't know." Daria feels really stupid for the answer and for leaving her room.

"It's been over a week so I don't think she's lost." Dantanius studies Daria. "Very waif like, you ever model for any paintings?"

"No, look, I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Hey you're the girl from yesterday." Daria turns around and sees the girl she saw yesterday. "You find your friend?"

"No, not, sorry."

"Don't go maybe your friend will show up later, what's their name?"

"Um, he isn't here, I have to go." Daria starts to walk towards the door when the female artist who's name Daria didn't know blocks her.

"What's your name? How come I haven't seen you in any of my classes?"

"Daria, I don't take art, just, my friend back home does and I, I wanted to see someone else's art."

"Really? If your friend is at home then why did you tell us you were looking for your friend?"

"I meant someone else. I have more then one friend."

"I'm sure you do what's their name?" The artist wasn't going to let Daria go so she decides to lie.

"Tony. I didn't mean to take up your time from, that." Daria points towards several easels with canvases on them.

"This isn't class we aren't on a deadline. Sit down. I'm guessing your friend back home painted since you're in here."

"She, she also did sculptures and I guess you'd call it modern art. She's going to BFAC next semester." Daria looks around and sees a chair. The artist did ask Daria to sit down. "Um, what's your name?"

"Amalia. That's Elena and that goofball is Dantanius." She points at the two as she tells Daria their names. "What was your friend's name?"

"Jane, Jane Lane." Amalia scrunches her face up as she thinks.

"No, I don't think I've ever heard of her." She looks at the other two artists and they shake their heads.

"What do _you_ consider art?" Dantanius says it with a sneer.

"Crying clowns and bowls of fruit." Dantanius rolls his eyes. "I was kidding." Daria looks at one of the canvases and sees Dantanius is working on the mountain with the shape of a skull. "That's more like Jane's work." Daria points to the canvas.

"She did mountains?"

"No, the skull, how it's hidden. She had some things that were um, twisted?" Daria isn't sure what art word would be used to describe Jane's art.

"The skull is that visible? I'm not even done yet, maybe if I cover part of it, blur it some, make it harder to see." Dantanius looks at the canvas trying to figure out how to change it.

"No, its, I heard you talk about it yesterday with the other artist, I didn't get her name."

"Ashley, her death painting was the inspiration for Skull Mountain." Dantanius looks at his painting still. "I think I will make it harder to see, maybe, hmmm."

"Make trees at the base like a beard?" Daria shakes her head, stupid thing to suggest.

"Yes, that, pirate or lumberjack beard?" Dantanius asks Daria but she doesn't answer. "Pirate, long, frames it with two rivers coming from the caves like tears."

"That was a good suggestion Daria you do that for your friend Jane?" Daria shakes her head. Amalia sits down next to Daria. "You know, your face, did Jane ever use you for a model?"

"No."

"Such a shame, but I'm guessing it's because you said no. As an artist she would have yearned to paint you."

"She really didn't do portraits, she was more, abstract, I don't know what you would call it."

"Oh, well, want to see my work?" Daria looks at Amalia with a strange look. "Us starving artists love to show our work to anyone. Come on you might like it and if you don't tell me. It will get me use to the critics." Amalia and Daria go over to a couple of canvases. "My class painting," She points to the canvas on the right. It is of a statue. "And my work," She points at the canvas on the left. It is incomplete but appears to be flying keys over a starving person who is outside a locked door with the word KITCHEN on it. "I got the idea from an old urban legend I heard. Woman gets locked in a fallout shelter. She isn't worried since there is a lot of food cans but she doesn't have a can opener."

"This, this reminds me of Jane's work."

"Really?" Amalia looks at the painting. "I have some more details to add, more keys, maybe show an extra rib or two. What do you think?"

"Um, ok, sure?" Daria wasn't an art critic and didn't really care. If Jane painted something like this or a basket full of puppies she wasn't going to say anything about it. Well, maybe she would if Jane painted puppies, but that would just be out of concern for her friend's sanity. "Salvation so close yet so far away, will not live to see another day."

"Hey, that's pretty good, that's a good title for this." Daria isn't sure why she had said what she said it just came out.

"That's so depressing." Daria hears the voice and doesn't want it to be who she thinks it is. "Dantanius did you forget?" Daria turns around and sees Tony talking to Dantanius. "Don't answer that look tells me everything. You have to get away from these paint fumes before it fries your brain, even more."

"Man I forgot sorry. I'll do dishes when I get back."

"Its ok I already did them." Tony looks around the room and sees Daria. "Daria? Um, hi."

"Wait, Daria, you said your other friend's name was Tony, why didn't I put it together?" Dantanius turns to Tony. "Maybe you're right the paint fumes are getting to me. She said she was looking for her friend Tony but I didn't think she meant you buddy."

"Tell you the truth I'm a little surprised to. You were looking for me? Skaz has my cell number if you wanted to talk to me." Tony gives Daria a bright charming smile, a smile she knows is as fake as his act.

"Maybe you should have your friend Dantanius make you a mask." Daria sees Tony's face twitch then returns to normal.

"He's not my friend he's my slob of a dorm mate." Dantanius and Tony laugh. "Well Daria if you were looking for me here I am."

"And here I am not." Daria walks away and leaves the art building. "He's everywhere, maybe he is stalking me." She turns around to see if he was following her, he isn't. "Homework, have to get the rest wrote out." She looks down at her right hand. "Sorry but you have to take one for the team." She was not going back to the art building. She went out, tried to make a friend, and Tony appeared. Amalia seemed ok, so did the others, but Tony was friend's with them.

"She has a real good sense of art." Amalia and Tony are talking now.

"Both her friends back home are artists. She just seems to be lured by artists, or the paint fumes." Tony's joke gets a laugh out of Amalia. "Dantanius you have to do dishes for the next two weeks. Make sure you get as much paint on them as you can so you know how hard it is to get that crap off."

"Just use paint thinner. Now where did I put that liquid white?" Dantanius goes through some paint supplies looking for the liquid white.

"I got to get going, see you Dantanius, ladies." Tony bows and leaves. As he walks out of the building he shakes his head. "Have to act, they'd never like the real you. Have to wear this mask." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a pill. He pops it in his mouth and swallows it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Mary, Jane**

Daria is sitting in her room after class on Thursday. She had done it, finally! "Why am I happy? This just means I don't have anything to do." She looks over at her school bag. It had the list of work that would be due over the semester. "If I do it all then I'll really be bored." Daria rests her head on her arms wondering what to do. She leaves her room and goes out into the living room to use the phone.

"I know, Sakz, this weekend is going to be a blast!" Lindsey is on the phone. She hears Daria and looks up. "Hey, Daria, there's going to be…"

"A party." Daria finishes Lindsey's sentence. "I'll go." Lindsey drops the phone. She picks it back up still stunned by what Daria said.

"Um, I, ok, um, Skaz? Daria said, she'll, she'll go to the party to!" Daria can't hear what Skaz says. "Ok, uh huh, I will," Lindsey continues talking on the phone.

"Lindsey I want to use the phone." Lindsey nods so Daria knows she heard her.

"Skaz, Daria needs to use the phone, uh huh, ok, love you to, bye." Lindsey hangs up the phone. "Daria why did you decide to go to the party?"

"Getting drunk, getting laid, what I've always dreamed of."

"Sarcasm, ha ha, really why?" Lindsey hands Daria the phone.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Daria takes the phone to her room so she can call Jane. "Hello?"

"There you are, you haven't called me all week, I," Jane stops. She was worried, scared to death. That Daria had just been lying about not hating her. "Why did you make me worry Ms. Morgendorffer I thought maybe you had taken my advice and found new friends."

"I tried to take your advice but I can't handle these people." They had been nice to Daria. Dantanius and Amalia said hi to her if they passed each other on the campus. They just didn't make Daria feel comfortable. If she gave them a chance she might feel different but giving people chances was something she rarely did.

"Then what are you going to do this weekend? Andrea and I are going with Trent to a gig Mystic Spiral has in Baltimore."

"I'm going to a party." Daria hears Jane laugh. "I'm serious Jane I can't sit around all weekend. I'll do homework, and when that's done I'll have nothing to do for the rest of the semester."

"You decided to go, you weren't bribed?"

"No, I realized sitting in my room all year is going to drive me insane and I need to take a break from school. It was a lot easier back at home but when you live at the school it's hard to do."

"Good for you Daria. Going to drink like you did last time?" Daria doesn't respond. "Oh Daria my little girl is growing into such a woman."

"Did you ever drink?" Daria tries to turn it around on Jane.

"Yes. I had wine with Allison at the Arts Commune. Never had beer from a keg though, how does it taste?"

"Uh, like beer? Sorry I didn't call you lately I was trying to get my Creative Writing work done."

"Did you?"

"Yes. But this mean I have nothing to do for that class until the next assignment. Unless I ask Yulo what she's going to assign next I don't have anything else to do."

"Yulo?"

"My Creative Writing teacher. With my luck it will be romance next." Daria could not, would not do romance.

"What?"

"She has us write stories of a certain type. This assignment was action so I just based it off of Zombie Blaster 2000."

"Can I read it?"

"No."

"You never let me read your work. Why do you write if you don't let anyone read it?" Daria mumbles an answer. "Come on Daria will you let me read it the next time I come up?"

"Sure, by the time you come up you will forget about it."

"Just for that I'm writing it down to make sure I don't." Daria mumbles something else. "College hard?"

"Not really. Are you scared about going to BFAC?"

"A little but I heard how if you do your own things and present them to the teacher they might sell it and for every painting sold you get twenty points and twenty percent of the money made."

"Going to pay off college by selling your paintings?"

"Doubt it. I have to sell the paintings to get the points and money."

"You're serious about selling your work?" Jane had tried to sell it before but never actually did.

"Of course Daria some of us didn't apply for scholarships to pay for college. Besides also unlike you I want people to see my work." Jane right now is working on a painting.

"Then change what you paint. Make, mountains, or puppies in a basket."

"Puppies without any skin would work, and a mountain that's really a skull would look cool." Daria laughs. "What happened?" Jane hadn't said anything funny so assumes something happened near Daria.

"Why did you never ask to paint me?" It was something that had bugged Daria. She would have said no but Jane never did ask.

"Because you'd say no, why do you ask, want a portrait or something?" Jane had wanted to paint Daria but she assumed correctly Daria would say no. She could have painted something without Daria knowing but Jane wasn't going to do that to her friend.

"No, I was just, it was stupid." Daria goes to the living room to get a can of soda out of the fridge. "Almost out already? Why couldn't I have gotten a magical fridge like the one at home that restocked itself?"

"Daria I wouldn't call Jake buying groceries and putting them away magical."

"Is that how that works?" Daria closes the fridge door and walks back towards her room. She stops when she gets to Lindsey's door and knocks on it.

"Wait!" Daria waits and Lindsey opens her door a few seconds later. "What is it?"

"We're almost out of soda. I'll get some later and I wondered if there was anything you wanted?"

"Um, well, no." Lindsey thinks about it. "No I'm good. Remember to go with the cheap stuff. No brand names needed, to expensive for sugar water." Lindsey closes her door. Daria goes to her room and opens the can of soda.

"Jane, can I let you go?"

"No. Now what are you going to do?"

"Leave the phone on while I go to the store for soda. Not my dime being spent right?"

"Alright, go get your soda cowgirl. Make sure not to wait so long to call me ok Ms. Morgendorffer?"

"Cowgirl?"

"Adaptation of a line from The Devil's Rejects."

"Never saw it."

"Daria you need to start watching movies that aren't in black and white or have sub titles. Just make sure to call me soon ok?"

"It was only a few days Jane. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Before you go to the party?"

"Yes."

"Call me after if you can. Unless you find yourself some young college stud to…" Daria hangs up on Jane. "Daria? I was just making a joke." Jane hangs up the phone and goes back to her painting.

The next day Daria goes up to Ms. Yulo during Creative Writing. "Ms. Yulo?"

"Yes, um, Daria?" Daria is amazed Ms. Yulo recognized her. Daria had never volunteered anything or turned in any extra work like most of the others in the class. Although, this is probably why Ms. Yulo recognized her. "What is it?"

"I finished our writing assignment." Daria rubs her right hand as phantom pain appears. "But it isn't due for another week. Could I get our next assignment so I can start planning on what I want to write?" _ Not romance, anything but romance, I'll give you a kidney for anything but romance._

"If you're sure Daria." Ms. Yulo goes into a drawer and pulls a sheet of paper out. She closes her eyes and skims her finger up and down it. When she stops moving her finger she opens her eyes and sees what her finger landed on. "Romance."

"Oh, ok, thanks." _I knew I should have offered a liver, anyone can give a kidney._ Daria goes back to her seat and sits down. Romance, the thing she couldn't, wouldn't, write. Now she had more then a month ahead of her with no Creative Writing work. She goes into her school bag and gets her math homework out. As she works on it she feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around and sees it is the same girl who warned her of the writing with a pen and paper rule.

"Daria right?" Daria nods. "You must be doing well on the assignment if you're doing," She looks over Daria's shoulder. "Math homework."

"I finished mine." Daria looks at the girl and decides to help her. "Next assignment is Romance." Now they were even.

"Really? Hmmm, I don't do Romance to well. Maybe a Romantic Comedy will work."

"I don't know."

"Anyways, I was wondering, my room mate Amalia said you talked in the art building. She said you said you were friends with Tony but Dantanius said you were more. If you are is it just friendship or is he available?" Daria tries to keep a comment about what the girl had just said but figured they were already even.

"Well I heard from a friend of mine that Skaz heard Dantanius wants Tony so he's been telling everyone that me and Tony are more then friends but we aren't." The girl doesn't catch what Daria is doing.

"Ok, thanks, don't you think he's cute though?" Daria shrugs her shoulders.

"I like my guys taller." Daria turns away and goes back to her homework. She gets her math homework done so works on her English 101 homework. She gets this done and notices she still has twenty minutes left. "Now what?" Daria looks around and sees most people either writing or talking. "Maybe I could do that." She looks around some more not seeing anyone that she wanted to talk to. "School was easier with Jane."

"Jane?" The girl Daria had talked to before leans over. "I know a guy who has some if you want to buy."

"No, Jane, not Mary Jane. She's a friend from back home."

"Oh, well, if you want some for the party tonight just let me know."

"You smoke?"

"No, not anymore, but I have no problem making money off of these," The girl motions to those around them. "People. Glad to hear you don't, right?"

"No, I don't." The girl smiles at Daria.

"I'm Mary, maybe we'll see each other at the party tonight, if I'm not to busy with Tony." She giggles, scaring Daria. "You have a friend named Jane and if we become friends you'll have a friend named Mary, Mary and Jane."

"Yes, I would, if you became my friend." _Fat Chance._ "How did you know I was going to the party?"

"Well duh only a loser wouldn't and you're not a loser. Are you sure you won't have any problems if I go after your friend Tony?"

"Yes, we're just friends, he's not my type." _He's psychotic, dark, smart, sarcastic, hmmm, why don't I like him?_ Daria shakes her head. "You and Tony have all the fun you want."

"I'm not going to go _that_ far Daria. What are you wearing to the party?" Daria looks down at her clothes.

"You have a problem with this?"

"Not going to dress up, or down, for the party? If they don't like you for who you are to hell with them right?" Daria nods amazed something like that has come out of Mary. Maybe she wasn't that much of a ditz. She may sound like one but her words have depth. "You're friends with Tony what do you think he'd like?"

"Be yourself, he doesn't like people who act or wear a mask." _If Mary digs her claws into Tony maybe he'll leave me alone._ "Don't be an airhead, not that you have been," _Much._ "And don't throw yourself at him."

"Really? Thanks Daria you're such a cool person. No wonder Amalia wanted to paint you."

"Did you let her paint you?"

"Yes! It was a really cool painting with a good and evil side. Its in my room do you want to see it?" Daria shakes her head.

"I'm not an artist I probably wouldn't get it. My friend Jane might though, she's an artist."

"That's right, Amalia said your friend was, not you. Well, writing is an art isn't it? We're artists we just use the pen and paper instead of paint and canvas." Mary flicks the pen in her hand like a paint brush. The two continue to talk until the bell rings. "I got a break next, need to get something to eat, what class do you have next?"

"A break, um, I'm just going back to my dorm for something to drink."

"Ok!" Daria isn't sure what happened but apparently she just invited Mary to her dorm room. Getting to her dorm room Daria unlocks the door and the two go in. "Ooo you got a mini fridge, aren't those expensive?"

"Got it at a pawn shop." Daria goes over and gets a can of soda out and hands it to Mary then gets one out for herself.

"That's a good idea. Nice Laz-Y-Boys." Mary sits down in a lawn chair. "Sick Sad World, repeat." Mary had turned the TV on and was flipping through the channels. "You and your room mate share all of this?"

"Kind of had to." Daria sits down in the other lawn chair.

"Tell that to Amalia. The living room is her space, her room is her space, the bathroom is her space. If I got a mini fridge she'd probably use it to store her paints." Mary pats her stomach. "Got anything to eat?"

"Yes, for a fee."

"Oh, yeah, food costs money." Daria is surprised the Mary was willing to give her money. "Got stuff for a sandwich? I'll give you two dollars."

"A sandwich costs six dollars at the cafeteria."

"Yes and I'm not spending six dollars for a sandwich from you, even if it is home made." Mary gets out of the lawn chair and gives Daria two dollars. She goes over to the mini fridge and takes out some cheese and bologna. "Mustard, mustard, there." She takes the mustard out. She grabs the bread off the top of the mini fridge and gets two slices out. She makes a sandwich. "Thank you Daria. I guess this means you have a friend named Mary and a friend named Jane?" She puts things away before going back over to the lawn chair.

"Do I have a choice?" Daria had no idea this would happen, this girl was even pushier then when she first met Jane.

"Of course you do this is America we all have a choice."

"Except when to go to class." Daria sees it is almost time for classes. "I have Physical Science next."

"I got history, nothing more exciting then learning about a bunch of dead guys."

"It would be more fun if they dug them up so we could ask them what the hell they were thinking."

"Yeah, but then they'd smell up the classroom. And really do you really want to talk with Nixon? That much bullshit would only fester after all those years in the ground." Daria laughs, a tiny little bit. "Thanks for the sandwich."

"You made it and paid for it so no need to thank me." _And maybe, I might have someone to talk to._ "Um, probably see you at the party tonight?"

"If you don't go blind beforehand then yes you will see me." They leave Daria's dorm room and go off to their separate classes.

After school Daria goes back to her dorm room and gets the phone. "Hello?" Daria had called Jane.

"Oh, Daria, I'll get Jane." Trent puts the phone down and finds Jane. A few seconds later someone picks the phone up.

"Yo Ms. Morgendorffer glad to see you remembered." Jane puts down a bowl of crackers she was covering in melted jolly ranchers. "Are you nervous about the big party? Don't worry I'm sure some unlucky fella will ask you to dance."

"Jane when have I ever been nervous about going to a party?"

"Good point you never had time to be nervous since I dragged you to them. Be careful Daria bad things can happen, like meeting a nice guy and getting drunk…" Jane leaves the rest to Daria.

"Unless I can find a former Jane boyfriend that's not going to happen." Daria turns around when she hears someone at the door. Lindsey comes in, with Skaz. "Jane I have to go, I'll, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Ok Daria. Have fun, or try not to let the drunken foolery stop you from saying hi to someone."

"I did say hi to someone today and I got a friend out of it. Why would I want to say hi again when the results always end badly?"

"You're right if I had kept you from saying hi to Tom I'd still not have him." Jane laughs, Daria gives a muffled chuckle. "Bye Daria."

"Bye." Daria and Jane hang up. Daria turns around and sees Lindsey is standing behind her. "Ease drop much?"

"I, I wanted to use the phone and was waiting for you to get done." Lindsey looks away from Daria.

"Don't cry. I didn't think about that." Daria sighs and goes to her room leaving Lindsey in the living room. She lies down on her bed. "I need to do my Creative Writing homework." Daria sits up and gets a piece of paper and a pen out. She writes her name in longhand, puts the date on it, and then is stumped. "I should at least give it a title." She writes one down, _Tell Tale Heart._ "Ok, Creative Writing homework is done." She looks at her alarm clock, five twenty eight. "Maybe I should try to do the assignment." She imagines trying to make a romance…

"_Oh Dantanius I do love you but how do I know you love me?" _ A girl who looks like Amalia in a southern bell dress is on the balcony of her mansion.

"_I'll give you anything your heart desires my love."_ A man who looks like Dantanius is on one knee below the balcony.

"_Anything?"_

"_Yes my love, anything."_

"_Even the tender liver of a new born babe?"_

"_Uh, how about something more romantic?"_

"_Ok, your heart!"_ The Amalia look alike pulls out a shotgun and shoots the Dantanius look alike in the chest. It blows a hole open revealing his heart. "_Should have gone with the tender liver of a new born babe."_

Daria shakes her head as she comes out of the fantasy. "Damn, how to turn that into a twenty page story?" She writes, and writes, for about three minutes. "I'll just take the F, nothing wrong with failing, right Mr. O'Neil." Maybe I should wear something besides this to the party." Daria looks down at her skirt and top. "Pants, definitely. Who knows what kind of pervs will be there." Daria changes into pants. "Now I need a new top, wait." She sits down on her bed. "What am I doing? It's like I actually care." _Maybe I do._ "I hate you Jane this is entirely your fault." She changes into a black t shirt. "Aren't I hip?" Daria leaves her room to go to the living room and get a drink out of the mini fridge when she stops at Lindsey's door. Daria knocks on it.

"Come in." Daria opens the door and goes in.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Ok, oh, you're getting ready for the party!" Lindsey gets up and goes to Daria. "Please let me do your hair, or your nails, both?"

"Ok, if you can do it without using anything that has an ingredient you can't pronounce." Daria smirks at Lindsey as she tries to think of something.

"Um, brush, comb, they don't have any ingredients."

"Damn, no scrunchies or I will make you pay, pay I tell you." Daria lives up to her side of the deal and actually lets Lindsey brush her hair. Once Lindsey gets the hair straight she moves it around.

"Hmmm, no, this shoulder's better. Maybe with a little hairspray…"

"Can you pronounce every chemical they use in that stuff?"

"Damn." Daria has saved her hair, for now. Once Lindsey is done with it she approves it and asks Daria to leave. "I have to get ready to." Daria leaves and goes to the living room and watches TV.

Several hours later Daria and Lindsey are walking across the campus to Skaz's dorm. Daria has to follow Lindsey since she had no idea where it was. "Skaz?" Lindsey knocks on the door. The door opens.

"There's my dark princess." Skaz picks Lindsey up by the waist and kisses her.

"I'm not dark I just look damn sexy like this." Skaz puts Lindsey down. "Wow, you decided to wear a different outfit."

"I didn't want some drunken idiot to spill beer on my clothes. Besides I only have two more left, going to have to do laundry soon."

"Mike are you ready yet?" Mike, Skaz's room mate, comes out from the back.

"Yeah man, whoa, Skaz you are so lucky." Mike scans Lindsey. "And then there's Daria, the sexy bookworm."

"Don't waste your time." Daria walks out of the dorm room. Skaz and the others follow. "Are we taking your truck again?"

"Yes." They get to the parking lot and get in Skaz's truck.

"Where's the party at?" Daria was bored, nervous, and worried. Bored because she was just sitting in the back seat, nervous because she hated parties, and scared because she heard what happened at parties.

"According to Dantanius it's not that far." They drive for about ten minutes when they turn onto a street with a lot of cars. "Uh, place to park." Skaz looks around and sees an opening. He pulls in and turns the truck off.

"Here's your twenty."

"Twenty? Wasn't it thirty last time?" Daria and the others get out.

"He gets to have fun with Lindsey so that's ten dollars off."

"Wow Lindsey, you're only worth ten dollars? Skaz you're going to let Mike insult her like that?"

"He doesn't know how to value things. Can't fault him for not knowing." The four walk up to a house that has music playing and lots of commotion. They go in and see the mass of teenage and twenties bodies dancing, drinking, talking, having fun.

"Oh God what was I thinking?" Daria looks around and finds a corner. She quickly goes over and tries to hide. "What was I thinking? Idiot." She may not have been in her room but this was not what she wanted. "Now I'm thirsty, sink, find a sink." _Then what, stick your head under the sink to get a drink?_ "Drink, a cup or two won't kill you." Daria leaves the sanctuary of the corner and goes out among the other teens and twenties.

About an hour later Daria is drinking her second cup of beer when someone sees her. "Daria!" She looks up and sees Mary. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, didn't wear my watch. Find Tony yet?"

"No, I just got here." Mary sees what Daria is drinking. "Where's the keg?"

"Uh, there's one that way." Daria points towards the kitchen.

"Want another cup?"

"Uh, ok, sure." Mary goes into the kitchen and comes back with two cups. Daria finishes the beer in her cup and takes the one Mary hands her. "How was class?"

"Which one?" Daria shrugs. "Well you had me in Creative Writing so you know how that went. Every other class was just like they were in high school."

"Long, boring, easy?" Daria watches Mary to see what her reaction would be.

"Close. You forgot it's a good time to sleep." Mary laughs and Daria smiles, for a second. The front door opens and Mary sees Dantanius, Amalia, and Tony walk in. "Sorry Daria but two good looking hunks of man meat came in and one of them has my name on it."

"Good luck, remember what I told you." _Please get him out of my hair._ Mary walks over to the three, says hi to Dantanius and Amalia then turns to Tony. "That was fun now what do I do?" Daria watches the masses dance and have fun. She drinks the cup of beer. A song comes on and Daria decides to try and dance. She goes between some other dancers and tries to dance like they do. After stepping on someone's foot and taking an elbow to the side of the head Daria retreats to the kitchen. She goes over to the keg, pumps it, and gets herself another cup.

About another hour later Daria is standing in the corner with a slight buzz. Five cups of beer were affecting her. "I better stop drinking." She leans against the wall when someone comes up to her.

"Hey babe I haven't seen you before." Daria stares at the guy. "What's a cute thing like you doing hiding in the corner?" Normally Daria would have a smart, witty comeback. But her mind is buzzed with alcohol.

"Cute?" Daria looks around. "I guesss you're talking to me." Daria's speech is a little slurred.

"Of course I am sexy." The guy leans up against the wall next to Daria. "How about we ditch this place and go somewhere to have more fun."

"Uh…" _No! You don't even know who the hell this guy is! But I came here to have fun, not that kind! _"I'm sorry I came here with some friends and it wouldn't be nice to leave them."

"Come on babe, just some fun, I won't bite, hard."

"No." _He had to say that didn't he? _"I'm ssure there'ss sssomeone a little more drunk you can pick up."

"Ok babe, if you decide you want fun find me."

"Wow, he didn't tell me off even though I ssshot him down." _Hell, he came on to me, this is nothing like high school._ "I can't drink any more, need to get a cup and fill it with water." Daria walks, stumbles a little, but makes it to the kitchen. She fills a cup with water and drinks it fast and fills it up again.

"Aw Daria not trying to stay sober are you?" Daria turns around and sees Lindsey.

"Yess, I almost made an ssstupid misstake."

"What did a guy come on to you?" Daria stares at Lindsey who was dead on. "Loosen up a little Daria. They may not be the best out there but sex feels good so why not have it?" Lindsey has to lean against the counter for support.

"Ssex? Me and Tom never had sssex." Daria is still slurring her words.

"Really? Daria, are you, are you a virgin?"

"That'ss none of your bussinessss. I'm, I'm going out to Ssskaz's truck." Daria makes a quick retreat leaving a giggling drunk Lindsey in the kitchen. She leaves the house and stumbles a little down the stairs. She walks across the lawn and makes it to Skaz's truck to find the door is locked. "Damn." She goes to the back and sits down on the back bumper.

About ten minutes later Daria is bored. She gets up and heads back to the party. Going in she sees the dancing has slowed some. More people were getting drunk and weren't able to bump and grind as well. "Hey." Daria turns and sees Tony!

"Um, hi, where's Mary?" Daria looks around and doesn't see her.

"Your friend from Creative Writing you tried to sic on me?"

"Damn, I mean, she's nice."

"She is but not my type."

"You're not my type does that mean I can ignore you now?" Daria had a wittier comment but it didn't come out.

"You can always ignore me Daria but it doesn't mean I will ignore you." With that Tony walks away.

"Wait, you just ssaid…" Tony continues to walk away. "Wow, telling him off worked." Daria sighs. Now she was alone again. "What the hell was I thinking? Tonight'sssucked." Daria came with Skaz so she had to wait for him to be done partying. "Might as well get another cup. If tonight's going to ssuck I might as well not remember it." She gets another cup, drinks it, then another and drinks it. When she starts to drink her seventh cup of beer Skaz finds her.

"Hey Daria we're getting ready to go." Daria just nods. "Are you ok?" Daria nods again. "Stay here and I'll get Mike." Skaz walks away and comes back a few minutes later with a very drunken Mike and a bit less smashed Lindsey. "Can you help me with Lindsey?" This time Daria shakes her head. She wasn't sure if she could make it on her own. The last two cups she pretty much downed and they hit her hard. She wasn't use to drinking and her brain was paying the price. "Oh, well, can you walk in a straight line?"

"I'll help." Tony had come up from behind Skaz. "Give me Mike and you can handle the ladies."

"You don't want Daria?"

"Not answering that." Tony helps Skaz with Mike so Skaz can help Daria and Lindsey. They get out to Skaz's truck and he unlocks the doors. "Up you go Mike." Tony helps Tony get in the back seat. Tony goes around to the other side to help Skaz. "Watch it," Tony catches Daria who stumbled backwards while trying to climb into the back of the truck. Tony helps Daria back into the truck then helps Skaz with Lindsey. "See you guys the next time I see you."

"Thanks for the help Tony." Skaz goes around and gets into the driver seat.

"No problem Skaz. Make sure they get back safely."

"Not hard to do when you don't drink." Skaz starts the engine up and drives his friends and girl friend back to Raft.

When at Raft Skaz helps the girls to their dorm room first. "Come on, just a few stairs, Lindsey you can do this." Lindsey was stumbling a bit more then Daria who was able to use the handrail to get herself up the stairs. After Lindsey falls again Skaz picks her up and carries her up the stairs with her over his shoulder. "You able to make it the rest of the way Daria?"

"Yes. Sorry." Daria felt foolish for what she had done. She never would have done this back at Lawndale. She wanted to go out and have fun but did something really stupid. She had humiliated herself in front of anyone who saw her try to dance. Now she had Skaz to lean on for support while he carried her room mate back to their room.

"I don't have a key."

"Oh, ok." Daria gets her key out and after a few misses gets the key in the lock and unlocks the door. They walk in and Daria heads for her room.

"Sleep on your floor incase you throw up." Daria feels even more humiliated being told what to do by Skaz. She opens her door then closes it behind her. Despite feeling humiliated by it Daria lies down on the floor instead her bed.

"At least I can't fall off." Daria closes her eyes as her head spins. Soon she falls asleep escaping the drunken feeling she had.

**A/N Just so the people who review know I do respond after you review. So read the reviews to see my responses and please review on this and more. I like to know what you liked and didn't like.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Spiral**

Saturday morning Daria wakes up. "I'm on my floor, why?" Daria sits up and feels her head pounding. "Damn, drinking, what the hell was I thinking?" _Have fun._ "This isn't fun." Daria stands up and walks to the bathroom. She gets the Advil out and takes two, then another two. "Lindsey, have to make sure she's ok." Daria makes it to Lindsey's room and knocks on the door. "Lindsey?" She opens the door and finds Lindsey curled into a ball on her floor. She snores lightly letting Daria know she's alive and well. "She's going to have a pounding headache when she wakes up." Daria rubs her temples as she walks out into the living room. "Window, light." Daria closes her eyes and goes to the mini fridge. She feels around and gets a can of soda out. She goes to her room and closes the door. "Much better." Her small window was covered to keep the light out.

About two hours later Daria's headache is gone, mostly, and she leaves her room again. She hears the shower running so Lindsey must be up. Daria goes to the living room and turns the TV on. As she flips through the channels she stops on a News Channel. The time says it is well past two. "I didn't sleep all day to Sunday. What was I thinking?" Daria is still beating herself up about what she had done at the party. If she had been a little more drunk she might have gone with that guy, she might have danced more, she might have done something really stupid. "This is Jane's fault. She told me to go out and make friends. Do college things. I have to tell her how her idea was stupid." _You didn't have to drink so much you did that on your own._ "Damn, how do I turn that off?" Daria gets the phone and calls Jane. "Hello?"

"Hi Daria, Jane's in the kitchen getting art supplies." It was Andrea.

"Oh, I can wait."

"You can talk to me Daria. What did you do last night? Jane said you were going to a party. I'd say she was lying but maybe you listened to your best friend."

"I did, and I hate her for it." Daria still has a small headache right behind the eyes. She closes her eyes trying to keep the sun out since it made her head hurt more.

"I'm sure you had a good time, oh, Jane its Daria." Daria hears Jane get the phone.

"Hi Daria did you have fun last night?"

"No. I hate you. Bye."

"Wait Daria you have to tell me what happened. That's how these things work. If you tell me what you did I'll tell you what I did."

"No. You're home, I just, weren't you going with Trent and Mystic Spiral this weekend to some gig?"

"Trent forgot to wake me up and left without me, I think. Maybe Jesse and Max dragged him out of here."

"Well, last night sucked."

"That doesn't count. Details."

"I drank, I tried to dance before assaulting someone's foot, and a guy came on to me and I blew him off." Daria thinks about how that sounds. "I mean, I told him to go away."

"Really Daria you can tell me the truth." Jane laughs. "About how my night went. Went to a band gig with Andrea, had fun, one of the band members is friends with Andrea so we got to go backstage. They had some stuff, it was fun."

"Stuff?"

"You know, beer, weed, some other things but I didn't try those."

"You smoked?"

"Yeah, it's not that bad Daria. All the buzz of beer without the bitter taste. Don't tell me you have a problem with it. Marijuana is a weed, why it is called weed. Someone convinced Congress to ban a weed. It would be like banning Dandelions or Crab Grass."

"Who told you that?"

"The drummer of the band." Jane says something to Andrea but Daria can't hear. "Andrea wants to know if you talked to Tony."

"No, I don't think so." Part of the night was still blurry. "I wanted to call and yell at you for your stupid idea."

"My stupid idea got you out of the dorm room. My stupid idea got you to drink, dance, and get hit on. Why did you turn him down, was he ugly?"

"No, I guess not. That's not the point. What if I had done something with him?"

"Oh no Daria kissing someone is the end of the world, not. And hey, if you had some more fun its nothing more then what you did with Tom is it?"

"You know me and Tom never, you know, that."

"You never went all the way it doesn't mean you stopped at first base." Silence from Daria perks Jane's curiosity. "You did do more then just kiss didn't you? At least under the shirt, over the bra." Silence from Daria is all Jane gets as a response. "I at least got that far with Tom, and Nathan."

"Jane can we stop? I don't want to hear about that."

"Daria you're in college! Have fun, or are the classes so hard the homework takes all of your time?" Jane knew Daria was to smart for that to happen. "Exactly. What are you going to do until I get there?"

"I, I talked to someone, they said we were friends." Daria feels stupid as she says this. "I mean, we are friends, from Creative Writing."

"Alright Daria. But still, this is college, it isn't Lawndale. No one knows you so you can be whoever you want to be. If you want to be yourself and people still want to be friends with you or make out even better."

"It's not like that." _Or is it? Quinn did say she went to a college party and that you would get along great with college students. A guy came on to you. He wanted to talk to you, do more. People here want to be friends with you all you have to do is let them in. _"He was drunk, probably, doubt he'd come on to me if he was sober."

"What about Tony? Or Tom, he liked you or was he drunk the whole time?"

"I don't know. College was always my escape and now that I'm here I find it's different from everything I thought it would be. People aren't jerks, they don't hate me, they are completely different then anything I could fantasize."

"This is like someone fantasizing about what they will do if they win the lottery and then losing. They set themselves up with all these dreams and ideas only to have them crushed. You had dreams and ideas about college and had them all crushed. You're lost because you had it all planned out when those plans were based off of a false idea."

"Maybe but it doesn't mean this headache isn't your fault." Daria grumbles some more about her headache.

"Daria you're such a lightweight. Drink more than but not as much as you did last night until you're use to it or don't drink at all. Smoke, don't, dance, don't, but have fun. You're not in your parent's house you don't have to sneak in if you stay out late. Just go to class, do the homework, then do what you want. You don't have your parent's rules to follow anymore. Got that? This is college, after classes and homework what you do is what you want."

"What do you know about parent's rules?"

"Hey I've thought about having a fire in my room but my parents were clear no fires in rooms that don't have fireplaces." Jane laughs. "You know what I mean Daria you're an adult you don't have to follow anyone else's rules."

"Ok you made your point. My head still hurts."

"So Daria what did you really do with the guy?" Click. "You're no fun." Jane hangs up.

"Jane's right I have my own life to live. I finished my homework and don't have anything else to do. Maybe a shower will help get rid of this headache." Daria goes to the bathroom and takes a shower.

While in the shower Daria is interrupted by Lindsey. "Lindsey get out!"

"The curtain keeps me from seeing anything. I don't like you like that, dyke, ew. My face is horrible." Daria hears the sound of heaving.

"Can't you wait?" A few seconds later Lindsey is able to answer.

"No, unless you want to clean it off your floor." Daria hears more heaving. "I'll brush my teeth then leave you alone." Lindsey brushes her teeth, washes her face, then gets the Advil out and takes some before leaving. Daria finishes and wears the towel to her room since she forgot to get clean clothes. "Only one left. Needs to do laundry." Daria changes and gets her laundry basket out. "Lindsey do you have laundry you need done?"

"Well yeah been nearly three weeks." Lindsey sees Daria as she walks out of her room with the laundry basket. "Oh you mean if I have any ready to be washed, yeah, I'll get it." Lindsey goes to her room and gets her laundry basket out.

"You're coming. I'm not touching your stuff." Daria gets ready to leave when the phone rings. Lindsey answers it.

"Uh huh, yeah, sure, come with us!" Daria rolls her eyes. Skaz had called and now Lindsey was inviting him. "Ok, I'll tell Daria to wait for you." Lindsey hangs up. "That was your friend Mary. She said she has laundry to and wouldn't mind doing it with you."

"Mary? Oh, ok, sure." _Phew, not Skaz, don't need him seeing my underwear._ "Where are we waiting for her at?"

"She says she'll come here with her stuff. Who's Mary?"

"Uh, a girl who is in Creative Writing." They wait and soon there is a knock on the door. Daria opens it and Mary walks in with a trash bag filled with clothes.

"Baskets? Bags are a lot easier to carry things in."

"But then things wrinkle." Lindsey walks over to Mary. "I'm Lindsey, you must be Mary."

"No I could be some stranger who overheard your call but this time it is I, Mary the Third, Queen of all that is writing." Lindsey chuckles at the joke. "Hey Daria, I thought, lets wait till we're alone." The three leaves the dorm room.

"Ok I saw the Campus Laundry Room was near the art building."

"They need to wash their clothes a lot due to the paint and stuff they use." Daria turns towards Mary when she says stuff. This makes her think of what Jane said.

"Mary now I have something to ask you, when we get there." Daria shakes her head. She wasn't really going to do this, was she? _Why not? This, this is college. I only have to go to class and do homework. Everything else is my own time to do what I want. _"There it is." They see the laundry mat and go in. "A dollar to run the machines? We're already giving them thousands to come here and they want more?" Daria gets a crumpled one dollar bill out and puts it in. The door opens and she puts her colors in. She sets the machine and starts it. She goes to the washer next to it and puts a dollar in doing the same for her whites. After the three girls get their clothes going Daria and Mary go off to a corner.

"Daria, I thought you said you and Tony weren't dating." Mary stares at Daria with a hurt look on her face.

"We aren't. If he said otherwise he was lying."

"Oh, well, he said he was saying someone. I, I just thought he meant you." Daria shakes her head. "Oh, who is he dating then?"

"I don't know."

"But you're his friend aren't you?"

"Uh, kind of, we know each other. I didn't know he was seeing anyone. If he was I doubt Skaz, or Jane, would try to get me to hook up with him. I wonder if he just lied."

"You think he would do that?"

I, I…" _He is a bit crazy. Almost like split personalities. He says he had to make a mask for his Father because his real self wouldn't be allowed. Is that just an excuse to cover up something bigger?_ "I wouldn't think so. Maybe he's not looking right now. Just started school and moved from home, I know how that feels." _Except I'm not crazy._

"He could have just said so. You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah, you said before, um, about, stuff." Daria feels stupid for asking this but she was going to take Jane's advice, as she interpreted it. "You know, Jane."

"I thought you didn't smoke. Is our entire friendship a lie?" Mary smiles at Daria to show she is kidding.

"No, I've never done anything like that. I never drank either but what the hell I'm at college. I'm an adult. I can do what I want when I want, after classes and homework. If I want to drink until I need to lean on Skaz to get to my room or smoke, stuff, I will."

"You've never smoked?" Daria shakes her head. "What about cigs?" Daria shakes her head. "And you never drank?" Daria nods. "What hick town did you come from?"

"I, well, at Lawndale I wasn't…" Daria didn't want to say Brain, Loser.

"You were more worried about getting through high school so you could get out and go to college. Same here Daria, I went to maybe one party a month but the rest of the time I spent on school work. The faster I was out the better." Mary looks around to make sure no one is able to hear her. She leans towards Daria and whispers. "I can get you that stuff, thirty for half an ounce, fifty five for an ounce. Do you want to use a bong or rolling papers?"

"Uh, either or?"

"Hmmm, your first time, I'd go with rolling papers. I can get those for free if you smoke up with me."

"Uh, ok, sure?" Daria becomes nervous as she looks around. She gets her wallet out and gets thirty dollars out. "I just, you know, want to try it. I'm not going to be a stoner or anything."

"Hey I tried it before and while it's been awhile I'll smoke with you. We're friends right?" Daria nods. "Killer. Are you going to the party tonight? We can smoke before then go."

"Party? I just went to one last night."

"Oh, have homework."

"Well, no, I finished it."

"What about the new writing assignment?"

"Uh, I can't do romance. I got two pages done then finished it. Maybe if I turn in some of my own work I can get the extra points."

"Better then how I'm doing. I don't hate romance but I'm better at drama, comedy, and interesting dialogue between characters. There is nothing interesting about _I love you Antonio, I love you to Marielle_ for ten pages."

"Antonio and Marielle? Self insertion of what you want Tony to do to you Mary?" Mary laughs at the joke.

"Caught me." Mary looks over to Lindsey who is staring at the two. "What's with her?"

"I don't know. She's just my room mate. My mom told me to treat her like my sister but if I did I'd be in jail for assault." Mary laughs. "Lindsey's ok as long as she doesn't talk."

"I wouldn't mind having her as a room mate. Amalia has just taken over the dorm room. I have to hide in my room when I'm there. I tried talking to her about getting a fridge in the living room and she said 'Great idea it will keep my paint fresh'. I'll never get a mini fridge. My room's too small for one."

"Uh, you said you wanted to smoke before the party, where?"

"Your room? My room?" Daria shrugs. "Well I don't think Amalia would care, or know. She has those damn paint fumes frying her nose. But fumes and a lighter might not be a good mix."

"I'll, I'll see if Lindsey is doing anything so the dorm will be empty."

"If she wants to join us let her."

"I'm spending my money on it I'm not sharing it with her." _Besides she said people who do drugs are bad._ "Be right back." Daria goes over to Lindsey. "Lindsey, uh are you going anywhere later?"

"Not that I know of."

"Could you? Mary wants to come over and, uh, hang out and I, don't want you there. Wait, I don't mean it like that, I, sorry."

"You and Mary want to be alone?" Lindsey gets a quizitive look on her face. "Why?"

"Uh, no reason, just, could you please not be there? We're going to a party later and uh, want to get ready and stuff, um, I'm…" _I'm a horrible liar._ "Go with Skaz somewhere ok?"

"I guess." Lindsey looks from Daria to Mary and back. "Wait a minute. This would explain why you don't like Tony."

"What?" Daria doesn't know what Lindsey is thinking.

"Come on Daria you don't have to hide it. You and Mary like each other don't you?"

"What, no, no way. We're, just don't be there please?"

"I guess, you two have fun though."

"It's not like that!" Daria tries to calm down. "I'm not like Jane. I don't like Tony because he isn't my type. Hell, aren't you going to whatever party is going on tonight?"

"Skaz said I should take a break. I'll leave you and Mary alone if you stay out of the dorm room tonight."

"Ok, I guess. All night?" Lindsey nods. "There's no way you can do that all night."

"Morning activities are fun."

"Ok too much information." Daria walks back to Mary. "If a rumor starts that we're seeing each other kill Lindsey. No, make it look like a suicide. I'll get A's for the semester and maybe you could be my new room mate."

"Ok, weird. Why didn't you just tell her we were going to smoke up before the party?"

"It's hard enough to get along with her as it is and she says only bad people smoke so telling her wouldn't make things easier. Why in the hell am I going through all this trouble for something that's illegal and bad for my health?"

"Because you can. You got out of Lawndale and now can do what you want. Isn't that what you said?" Daria nods. "After our laundry is done I'll call someone I know and see what he has. I'll come over say, around seven so we can light up?"

"Whenever you want to." _Am I really doing this? Stop asking yourself that! Of course you are. Once classes are over and homework is done you do what you want._ They sit and talk until the machines buzz indicating the washing process is done. They put their clothes in dryers and wait. When this is done they go back to the dorm building and split off to go to their different rooms.

"So Daria what are you wearing for your date tonight?"

"Date?"

"With Mary."

"I am not going on a date with her! We are friends. She is brining some, stuff, none of your business! Lindsey if you tell anyone me and Mary are seeing each other we will make it look like a suicide."

"Geesh your friend is out of the closet but…"

"I am not gay!" Daria gives up and goes to her room slamming the door behind her. "Why am I going through all this trouble!? It was easier back at Lawndale. No one liked me except Jane, and Jodie, and Mac…" Thinking about it she wasn't really hated they just didn't talk to her. "Even Kevin and Brittany liked me enough to talk to me. They did ask for advice but I'd usually tell them something sarcastic and they'd walk off to do it. This isn't me." _No, but this isn't Lawndale High. Here people like you. They want to be friends because you are smart._ "How do I turn that off?!" Daria lies down on her bed punching her pillow to get it just right. "This is Jane's fault." _She didn't tell you to do this you decided to do this._ "Subconscious, meet Marijuana in about," Daria looks at her alarm clock. "Three hours." Daria can't just lay on her bed and gets up. "TV. nothing to dull the brain more then TV." Daria goes out into the living room and sits down in a lawn chair. She turns the TV on and flips through the channels.

"_Meet the newest addition to the North Pole, Black Santa and his many Ho Ho Ho's next on Sick Sad World._"

"A new one, a little early for Christmas but have nothing better to do." Daria watches TV as time passes until the big moment comes.

"Daria, is it empty?" Mary walks in and looks around.

"Let me check. Lindsey might have sneaked off while I was in my room." Daria goes to Lindsey's room and knocks on the door. She opens it when no one answers and sees the room is empty. "Ok, grab a couple of sodas from the fridge then come to my room." Mary gets the soda and goes back to Daria's room. They sit down on the floor.

"Got an ashtray?"

"Uh, will an empty can work?" Daria grabs one out of her garbage can.

"Ok, let me roll this up first." Mary pulls out a bag with green leafy stuff inside.

"That's Marijuana? After all the hype and promotions I was expecting a little more." Daria looks at the bag wondering if she was ripped off and sold a bag of Oregano.

"All that hype is political bullshit that Dr. LSD proved in the 70's. It relaxes and calms you out. Much better then alcohol which usually makes you mean and fight." Mary breaks up some of the Marijuana and puts it in a rolling paper. She rolls it up, twists the ends to make sure they're tight and gets a lighter out. "Ready? I'll give you the first hit." Mary hands the joint to Daria. "Put it to your mouth, just your lips though don't need your slobber all over it." Daria puts her lips on it, Mary sparks the lighter, and Daria takes a hit.

"Gah!" Daria starts to cough, and cough, and cough.

"Lightweight!" Mary pats Daria on the back. "Ok, next hit." Mary smokes, coughs a little and gives it back to Daria. "Don't quit on me now I got enough for two more joints."

"O, ok." Daria takes another hit and starts to cough again.

"Try it again." Daria does and coughs but not as much as the first time. "There you go Daria. Work on that one while I roll another joint." Mary breaks some more up, puts it in a paper, and rolls it up like the first one. "My turn Cheech." Daria gives the half smoked joint to Mary who takes a hit.

"My lungs are burning." Daria takes a drink of her soda trying to cool her throat.

"Taking to deep of a hit. Just breath it in." Mary shows Daria then breaths the smoke out through her nose. "Tickles." Mary hands the joint back to Daria who tries to copy Mary and blow it out through her nose when she sneezes. "Good job Daria." Mary laughs and takes the joint from Daria. "Try and save that for later."

"There won't be a later." _May…_ "Hey, he shut up finally." Daria gets the joint from Mary and finishes it off. "Wow, that, that wasn't that bad."

"We're not done yet Daria. I'll start this one." Mary puts the second joint up to her lips and lights it. They pass it back and forth and finish it. "Only enough for one more."

"Ok, then the party?" Mary nods as she rolls the third and last joint. "I want to start this one off." Daria gets the joint, lights it, and takes a hit. She only coughs a little and takes a second hit before giving it to Mary.

"Puff, puff, pass." Mary does this and gives it back to Daria. They keep this up until Mary finishes it off. "Good stuff for only thirty."

"Yeah, I guess, I wouldn't know." Daria stands up. "I don't get it aren't I supposed to feel anything?"

"You are Daria you just don't know it yet." Mary looks at Daria. "Aren't you changing for the party?"

"I, well, I guess." Daria goes to a drawer and pulls a black v neck t shirt out. "Go away."

"Daria we have the same parts. Paranoia, side effect of Marijuana."

"Just go so I can change." Lindsey leaves closing the door behind her while Daria changes her shirt. "Maybe, why not?" She pulls a pair of blue jeans out and changes into them. "Now I'm ready." Daria leaves her room and sees Mary eating a sandwich. "That's two dollars."

"I'm driving since I don't trust your reaction time right now." Mary finishes her sandwich. "I'm ready if you are."

"Ok, sure." Mary and Daria leave Daria's dorm room and go out to the parking lot. "This is your car?"

"Yep, isn't it the cutest thing you ever did see?" A bright pink Nash Rambler is Mary's pride and joy. "My dad works on cars and gave this to me for my graduation present. I don't really like the color but he gave it to me so I'm not complaining." They get in the car and Mary starts it up.

"Whoa." The rumble of the car affects Daria more then it normally would. "Is this what they call 'feeling it'?"

"It affects different people different ways Daria. Just relax we're going to have a blast at the party!"

"Oh yeah, tonight, can I stay at your place? The deal I made with Lindsey was I'd have to stay out of the dorm room tonight."

"Ok." They drive off to the party.

At the party Mary gets Daria to dance, showing her how to not step on people's feet or get assaulted. After a couple songs Daria starts to have a good time. Not stepping on people's feet made dancing better. Daria is actually having fun. She is letting loose, she is letting go of her insecurities. She is letting the Marijuana take away her inhibitions. Daria drinks beer from a keg and dances some more. "I'm starting to get dizzy." Daria finds an empty seat and sits down.

"Hey chicky how you doing?" A guy leans over the chair and outs his hands on Daria's shoulders.

"Take your hands off or I'll take them off."

"Mm, feisty." The guy laughs and walks away.

"What was that? I shouldn't have been so mean. Did I just say that?" Daria waits for her brain to respond but nothing happens. "What the hell I'll get another cup." Daria goes to the kitchen and gets another cup of beer.

"Daria!" She turns around and sees Amalia. "You and Mary having fun?"

"What? Mary's around here somewhere. She said it was ok to stay at your dorm room since Lindsey needed mine for her activities with Skaz."

"What's that smell?" Amalia leans towards Daria and sniffs her. "That smells like good stuff why didn't you share it with me?"

"Mary said paint fumes and a lighter didn't mix."

"It isn't that bad in our dorm room."

"Your dorm room. You won't even let her put a mini fridge in."

"Yes she can if I can put some paint in a shelf or two."

"Whatever, where did it all go?" Daria looks at her empty cup. "Need more." Daria fills her cup up and leaves the kitchen. "Damn someone took my seat." Daria looks around when a song comes on that she likes. "Have to finish this." She drinks down most of the cup and goes out onto the dance floor. She dances for a little bit when she feels a hand on her waist. "Hand off."

"Oh come on babe you can dance with me." The guy moves closer to Daria.

"What the hell." Daria dances with the guy until the song is over. She walks through the crowd separating herself from the guy. "That was fun, did I really do that?" Daria feels someone bump into her. "Hey watch it." She turns around and sees it is Mary. "Oh, hey, thanks for showing me how to dance better."

"No problem Daria. You see any cute guys?" Daria looks around the room they are in.

"Actually I do." The alcohol and Marijuana was a double whammy on Daria's sense of modesty, inhibitions, and self image. "I just got done dancing with a guy, he came on to me."

"Like that's a big deal?"

"You have no idea how big a deal that is." Daria starts to giggle then stops. "No, I didn't just, my imagination."

"Daria want another cup of beer?"

"Sure." Mary and Daria cut through the crowd and make it to the kitchen. They go to the keg and get a cup of beer. "This is great." Daria can't remember a time she had so much fun. Of course, she couldn't remember to well at the moment. "I'm so glad I didn't go to Bromwell with all of those stuck up metal pole smugglers."

"I love college." Mary raises her cup. Daria taps her cup to Mary's. "Bottoms up." They drink their cups seeing who can drink the fastest. Mary finishes first. "I'm better then you." Daria finishes her cup.

"I'll beat you next time."

"Prove it." Daria and Mary fill their cups up again and race with Mary winning again. "I'm done spanking you in drinking." Mary squeezes her cup. "I'm gonna dance."

"Let me finish this cup and I'll join you." Daria downs the rest of the cup then follows Mary out into the other room.

As the hours pass Daria and Mary, along with every other student at the party, drink and dance and dance and drink. Some go off with friends for more private parties involving drugs but the main party continues. "My head, I need to sit down." Daria looks around and doesn't see any available seat. She wanders over to a corner and sits down. After awhile Mary finds Daria.

"Hey Dars what's up?"

"Oh nothing Mary." _And don't call me…_ "Was feeling a little light headed."

"Oh, well, ok." Mary walks away to dance some more. A few minutes later Daria get up and starts to dance to the music. As she dances a guy comes up to her.

"Hey baby you got some nice moves."

"Thanks." Daria smiles at him.

"I got some moves to, want to dance?"

"Why not?" Daria and the guy dance for a couple of songs when he puts his hands on her waist.

"What's your name girl?"

"Daria. You?"

"Chris." He leans close to Daria. "I like the way you move."

"Um, I, uh." Daria blushes.

"Don't worry Daria." He leans in to kiss her when she turns away. "To fast?"

"I, I don't kiss on a first party."

"Daria with the moves you got I can't believe you've been able to keep that rule."

"Well, I, um." Daria looks past Chris and sees Mary. "My friend needs help, sorry."

"Don't be sorry I get to see you leave." Daria gets away and goes over to Mary.

"Mary, can we leave?"

"What? Why?"

"I have to go, leave, now."

"I'm not leaving this party I'm having fun."

"You don't understand I," Normally she could come up with something but the alcohol and Marijuana has clouded her mind. She looks down trying to think of an excuse when Mary thinks of one.

"Oh that happened. Bad timing I guess. We can stop at your dorm room so you can get a pad or whatever you use." Daria is confused then gets what Mary is talking about.

"Yeah, ok." The two girls leave the party. "Daria is it bad?"

"Uh, no."

"Ok I'm driving slow since I'm not at my best." They make it to Mary's car and get in. Mary drives back to Raft and Daria goes to her dorm room. When she opens the door she hears moaning.

"Oh crap that's right. I have to make this fast." Daria get to her room and finds a maxi pad. "Why am I doing this? I'm not really having a period." She puts it back and quietly sneaks out of the dorm room and goes to Mary's dorm room.

"Better?" Daria nods. "Come on I'll give you a pillow so you can have something soft to sleep on."

"Thanks. Sorry to ruin your fun." _You idiot! He wanted you!_ "Where were you twenty minutes ago?"

"What Daria?"

"Nothing." Daria and Mary go to Mary's room and Mary gives Daria a pillow. "I guess goodnight."

"Back at you Dars."

"Don't call me Dars."

"Ok Daria." The two fall asleep after a hard night of dancing and partying and having fun.

**A/N Ok, few things. I don't drink, or smoke. My friends do and I get paid to be the designated driver.(Where I got the idea for Skaz) Anyways, Daria is getting out of hand. Being in a different city surrounded by different people, different situations, away from Helen and Jake. She is doing things she normally wouldn't do but is taking Jane's advice, as she interprets it, and doing different things. She isn't use to people being nice to her, liking her, not hating her. Here she isn't a brain but a student. I want to make this as clear as possible. Some will say it is OOC for Daria and it is, for Lawndale Daria. At Lawndale would anyone talk to her at a party, besides Jodie or Mac? Would she go to a party period? But here the people say hi, treat her like a person not a freak. They like her, the guys hit on her, the girls are friendly with her. This world is OOC for Daria so Daria would act OOC. Also, if what had happened in Season 4/5 had happened in Season 1 wouldn't everyone say OOC? Daria wouldn't go after a guy, especially not one dating Jane. They developed Daria and I am developing her, or undeveloping her. Is she in a downward Spiral or an upward Spiral?**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Rock Bottom

**Chapter 12: Rock Bottom**

The next couple of weeks Daria spent a lot of time with Mary and on the weekends went to the parties. She always made sure to have her homework done so she could enjoy the weekends of dancing drinking, and smoking. At first Daria told herself it was just a one time thing but she liked how she felt when high. It made her happier, less of a bitch towards others, and allowed her to enjoy things normal eighteen year olds enjoyed. "Daria, get up." Lindsey knocks on Daria's door. It is Thursday morning and they have to get ready for school. "Daria!" She pounds a little louder.

"I'm getting up." Daria yawns and stretches as she sits up. "I have plenty of time."

"Daria I think there was a power outage. The phone ringing is what woke me up."

"Damn." Daria hadn't noticed the clock was blinking. "I need a shower."

"You have time I already took mine." The two girls hurry through morning activities and head to the campus for classes.

During Creative Writing Mary leans forward after Mrs. Yulo's usual short lesson. "Daria, there's going to be some huge bash to celebrate the Patriots win over the Jets in Boston this Friday. The cover charge is twenty dollars but I heard it is well worth the money after what happened last year."

"How do you know what happened last year?"

"A Junior told me. What do you say?"

"I don't watch football."

"I don't either but I do party with my friends." Mary nudges Daria on the shoulder. "Come on Daria I'll drive."

"Ok but if anyone asks me how many home runs the Patriots got I'll be so embarrassed." Daria's joke is no where as funny as it should have been. Jane had noticed it when Daria called but Daria said it was nothing but not being surrounded by idiots all the time. She couldn't make a sarcastic comment if the person would know she was being sarcastic. The downside of being with students who want to go to school is that they usually have something between the ears.

After classes Daria has Mary come over. "How do you live in your room all day?"

"Amalia is usually at the art building but that closes at ten so she can't be there all the time." They are sitting in the lawn chairs drinking soda while watching Sick Sad World.

"_This man caught an alien, and its family to make a baseball team! Grey's in the outfield next on Sick Sad World."_

"I remember this episode." Mary leans back in the chair. "You could stock your fridge with beer Daria be better then this crap." Mary shakes the non brand name soda can.

"I'm not 21 so can't exactly buy beer."

"That's what older students are for. Give them the money plus two dollars and they get it for you." Mary reaches down to her stomach and squeezes a tiny bit of skin. "But I should be cutting down look at this beer gut."

"You mean your protective covering over your rock hard abs." Daria squeezes a bit of skin of her own. "If we were shallow we'd be in the bathroom throwing up right now."

"No I usually throw up after drinking anyways so it wouldn't do me much good to throw up now." Mary laughs at the joke and surprisingly so does Daria.

"I don't drink that much."

"Yes you do your stomach just seems to be able to handle it. You're so lucky Daria I've seen you have a cup or two more then me and not throw it back up. I'm jealous of you."

"I had to stomach a lot worse when in high school." They laugh. "Besides I only drink, and smoke, on the weekends. I'm not about to become an alcoholic pot head."

"So that joint we smoked on Tuesday was what, Twilight Zone weekend?"

"You had it already and I wasn't going to let you smoke it alone. Only pot heads smoke alone."

"You're such a good friend to sacrifice yourself for me. Have you talked to Tony lately?"

"No, thankfully." For the past couple of weeks Tony had left Daria alone. Ever since she started going to parties, having fun, being a normal college student Tony had left her alone. "Not that you would notice, who was that shoving his tongue down your throat on Saturday?"

"I don't remember his name. What about you? Don't you have fun at the parties?"

"I dance but I'm not about to do that with some random guy."

"Don't be so prude Daria its fun. On Friday me and a guy went out to his car and really had fun."

"How can you do that? Just pick a guy and do that? What about feelings, emotions, I don't get it."

"We didn't do _that_ much Daria just more then we could have done in the party. Besides what does emotions and feelings have to do with sex? Its fun, feels good, why not do it?"

"Well, um, can we stop?"

"Are you a virgin? Aw, a college girl who's a virgin how adorable! How did a girl like you get to college without beating off guys with both hands?" Mary bursts into laughter when she thinks about what she just said. "I didn't mean, I'm sorry." Mary keeps laughing.

"I wasn't interested in that and I'm still not, that much. I, I admit I had a boyfriend and we kissed but we never did anything else."

"Never let him get to second base?" Daria shakes her head. "Wow Daria how did you not die of boredom? You didn't drink or smoke or party or have fun with guys back at Lawndale. How did Jane keep you around?"

"Well, she, she wasn't like you. She did drag me to parties but she'd back off when she knew it was too much."

"Daria how about this weekend you at least let a guy kiss you? Unless you're planning on becoming a nun you're going to have to get laid sooner or later. What about your honeymoon? _Sorry honey I know we're married but nothing past first base."_ Mary laughs at her horrible attempt to copy Daria's voice.

"I'm not going to promise anything. I just, don't worry about that." _Until Tom brought it up, then you did, then you nearly broke up over it._ "Mary how much for an ounce? For tomorrow before the party."

"Well there will probably be some at the party. Hell Daria there should be all kinds of goodies at the party. When I was talking to Tidus he was telling me how last year they had shrooms and LSD and like ten kegs. Patriots winning over their rivals in New York is always a big deal around here."

"I don't want to do it at the party I want to do it with you. Your place again right?"

"Amalia will be there but she doesn't care. For an ounce, I'll pay for it if you pay my cover at the party."

"Ok." They continue to watch TV, talk, and drink soda until it was late.

The next morning Daria is up and ready for class on time. She sits through classes, turns in homework, talks to Mary in Creative Writing and sits through more classes. Finally classes are over and Daria and Mary meet in her room. "Got it?"

"Of course Daria." They go back to Mary's room and close the door. "And I got a special treat!" Mary reaches under her bed and pulls out a bong! "If you've only smoked with me then you've never used one of these. All you do is put the pot in this end and suck through this end."

"What does the water do?"

"I'm not really sure. Some people like to drink the water after finishing but it tastes really nasty." Mary makes a face.

"You drank it before?"

"Yeah but you don't have to. Trust me its really awful." Mary gets the Marijuana out and pinches off a bit and puts it in one end of the bong. "You get the first hit like always Daria." Mary hands the bong to Daria.

"Lighter?" Mary hands her lighter to Daria. "I, I just put my mouth over this and suck?" Mary nods. "Why couldn't you just get rolling papers?" Daria puts her mouth over the large part of the bong and lights the other end. She breaths in and takes a deep hit. She coughs a little and pulls away. "Whoa."

"Better hits right?" Mary takes the bong from Daria and takes a hit. They pass it back and forth and go through the entire ounce.

"I hope you can drive." Daria was feeling the high more then usual. "When's the party?"

"A couple hours from now. Let's get something to eat. McD's sounds good."

"Anything sounds good right now." Daria and Mary leave Mary's room.

After going through the drive through Mary and Daria stop at a store. "What are we here for?"

"Daria I have to pick some things up, personal things."

"We're friends right?" That and Daria was feeling paranoid about the people around her and didn't want to be left alone. Daria bumps against a shelf when Mary stops walking and Daria nearly runs into her.

"Maybe I'll give you some." Mary and Daria go to the pharmacy area of the store and Mary grabs a box of condoms.

"What?" Daria was expecting tampons or something not this.

"Daria big party tonight and I know this one guy is going to be there that I've been talking to at a couple of parties and he sounds like fun."

"I'll go wait in the car." Daria walks away and leaves the store. As she walks through the door a buzzer goes off.

"Stop right there!" Daria turns around as a security guard comes up to her. "Empty your pockets."

"Ok sure." Daria does showing her car keys, dorm key, and wallet."

"Walk through the door again." Daria follows orders and the buzzer goes off again. "Take off your boots and jacket."

"What, why?"

"The buzzer goes off when a magnetic strip goes through it, like the ones found on the products of the store." The security guard gives Daria a stern look.

"I'm not stealing anything."

"Then prove it." Daria decides it would be easier to go along then to argue and takes her boots and jacket off. She walks through the door again and nothing happens. The security guard picks up Daria's jacket and goes through the pockets finding nothing but noticing a peculiar odor. "Smells like Marijuana."

"Uh, no, you must be mistaken." Daria starts to get worried and sweat. "I, I was at a friends dorm room, um, their room mate is an artist maybe you smell the paint stuff she uses."

"We'll see about this. I'm going to call the police and have them bring a K9 unit."

"But, I'm not even stealing anything."

"Then why did the buzzer go off?"

"I don't know." Daria tries to think of something but can't her mind was being blocked by the Marijuana. "Please I swear I'm not stealing anything. I went through the doors and they didn't beep maybe they are messing up."

"Or you have a secret pocket in your jacket." The security guard looks over Daria's jacket and finds a magnetic strip stuck to the back of it. "And where did this come from?"

"I don't know, maybe when I bumped into one of the shelves back there it got on there." Daria was almost hyperventilating. Normally she wouldn't act like this but the Marijuana had made her act differently.

"Sure it did. Just get out of here." Daria hurries out of the store.

Daria stands outside of Mary's car waiting for her to get out of the store.

When Mary does they go back to Mary's dorm room. "I can't believe you bought some of those things. They aren't fluorescent are they?"

"No Daria." Mary rolls her eyes. "I'm planning a head of time. I want to have fun at the party." Mary laughs a little.

"And that means fun? I have enough fun dancing with random people. I don't need to do anything like that." Mary laughs a little more.

"You're such a prude. How you never did more then kiss is amazing. You're so waif like and smart and funny."

"I just don't care about that." Daria smiles. "I can't wait for the party. All my homework is done and I feel great. And you said the party last year was a huge blast." Daria laughs, giggles. The marijuana was clouding her mind.

Mary and Daria go to the party. Daria is still feeling a buzz from the marijuana. And soon after a few cups of beer she is dancing with the other teens.

Daria is drinking another cup when she feels a hand on her arm. "Hey baby wanna dance?" She turns around.

"Sure." Daria downs the rest of her beer and goes into the living room with the guy to dance.

More dancing, more beer, and more dancing. Daria is having a lot of fun. "Hey baby follow me." The guy grabs her wrists and leads her to the kitchen. He opens the refrigerator. "Ever try Vodka? This is good stuff."

"No just beer. What does it taste like?"

"Horrible as hell but it's not the taste you drink for." He goes through a cupboard and pulls two shot glasses out.

After taking a shot Daria makes a face. "You weren't kidding about the taste." The guy nods.

"But babe it will make you feel good." He pours Daria another shot and she drinks it.

Daria's head spins. "Are you ok?" The guy puts an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe you need to sit down." He leads her to a stair case and leads her up the stairs.

Daria is lightheaded. She can't think. Drugs and alcohol cloud her brain. "Come on baby sit down." He helps her on to a bed.

"Thanks." Daria's head continues to spin.

"Isn't that better?" Daria feels the guys lips on her neck as his hand moved to her thigh.

"Yeah but still kind of woozy." Daria doesn't resist when he helps her down on the bed.

Daria and the guy are kissing when his hands start to roam. "Hey, what are you doing?" Daria tries to think but her head is too clouded.

"Gonna have fun babe." His hands continue to roam as he kisses her neck. "Lots of fun." His left hand rubs her thigh moving up.

"Fun, yeah. College, party, do normal college things." Daria shakes her head. "No this isn't right."

"What? Don't be a tease babe." Daria tries to move away but the guy gets aggressive. "Come on babe."

"No." Daria pushes him away. "What am I doing?"

"What are you doing? Tease me and lead me on. Don't act like that." The guy makes another move on Daria.

"No!" Daria pushes him away harder. "Leave me alone, I made a mistake." Daria gets off the bed and stumbles. She falls into a nightstand.

"What? Tease!" The guy gets off the bed and storms out of the room.

"Tease? No I don't know what, oh no." Daria grabs a vase and hurls into it.

Daria stumbles out of the room and finds the hand rail to the stairs. She stumbles down the stairs. "Mary, Mary!" Daria's head spins more. She can hear noises but can't tell if they're music or people talking. She sees things but can't make out what it is she's seeing. "Mary!" Daria finds a door and opens it. "I need to go to bed." She falls against a washer machine. "Mary I need to go home." Daria falls to the floor and hurls again.

Daria was feeling worse, and better. Her head wasn't spinning but her throat burned. Her stomach churned. She is able to get off the floor and get out of the laundry room.

Daria looks for Mary and finally finds her making out with a guy in a corner. "Mary, Mary I need to go home." She pulls on the back of Mary's shirt.

"Daria not now I'm busy."

"Mary I said I need to go back. Come on let's go please Mary." Daria pulls on Mary's shirt again.

"I said no!" Mary turns around. "What the hell happened to you? You look like you got hit by a train."

"I don't know. My head hurts and I keep spewing. I need to go back." Daria sways a little. "Am I moving or is it the room?"

"What the hell did you do Daria? Did you take anything?"

"No. I was just drinking from the keg then some guy gave me some Vodka and then we went upstairs and, ew." Daria's head keeps spinning.

"Well no duh. Alcohol before beer you're in the clear. Beer before alcohol and well, you." Mary laughs.

"I want to go home, please."

"Here are the keys wait for me." Mary digs her keys out and hands them to Daria. "I'm busy."

"But, Mary how long?"

"Just go to the car!" Mary pushes Daria with one hand. "I'm busy."

"But, Mary, you're my friend." Daria stands and stares as Mary ignores her. "Fine." Daria makes her way out of the party and stumbles her way to the car.

Daria reclines the seat and stares at the ceiling. "I can't believe her. Jane would have left. Jane wouldn't have let me do this." Daria rubs her temples. "What did I do? Who was that guy? What was I thinking?" Daria turns her head and looks at the house where the party was being held. "What was I doing with Mary? Drugs and alcohol and parties. I don't do that. I'm not like that." Daria gets out of the car. "I can get back on my own. I don't need Mary." Daria starts a long walk back to Raft College.

As Daria stumbles down a road she sees red and blue flashing lights. "Oh no now what?" Daria tries to get around but a flashlight shines on her.

"What are you doing?" Daria sees three officers.

"Uh, walking."

"Where?"

"Back to my college." Daria starts to get nervous.

"The closest college is BFAC and that's nearly ten miles away. What are you doing? Get over here." Daria tries not to stumble as she walks over.

"I'm just walking it's not a crime."

"Whoa you smell of booze. Public intoxication is a crime." One of the officers walk over to Daria. "Can you say your ABCs?"

"Sure, ABCs." Daria laughs hoping that making a joke will ease things.

"Not funny kid. Can you walk in a straight line?" Daria looks down at her feet. "Well?"

"Um, sure." Daria takes a few steps then stumbles.

"That's what I thought." The officer grabs Daria by the arm. "Put her in the back we'll take her."

"Don't want to book her?" The one holding Daria shakes his head.

"She's not driving. And we're not really in public. It's responsible of her to walk rather then turn a one ton hunk of metal into a deadly weapon." The officer turns to Daria. "What school do you go to?"

"Raft."

"Come on I'll take you back. "George, Benson, stay here with the other cruiser and wait for the traffic. We'll get more then enough DUIs to make up for letting this one go." The officer leads Daria to a cruiser and lets her in to the back seat.

On the drive back Daria stares out the window. In one night she got wasted, nearly assaulted, ignored by someone she thought was a friend, and almost arrested. She never wanted to do any of it again. She came to college to learn and get a degree. Not party or drink or make friends. She came to Raft to get an education not to do what she had done. "I'm sorry."

"Hey don't be. There are a lot of kids going to get in a lot of trouble tonight. You decided to walk instead of drive. Even as boozed up as you are you were smart enough not to drive."

"Uh, yeah." Daria hadn't said sorry to the officer but to herself. "Thanks for the ride. I just had to get away from the party. It was too much."

"Well you kids will learn soon enough. A party here and there can be fun. But you do it every weekend and you will burn out. When I was in the Academy I used to party but I was almost thrown out. I had to stop it all and keep it together. When I was twenty two I stopped it all and went sober. Five years later I'm in charge of the DUI department and helping kids like you."

"You're not that much older then me. You're only twenty seven right?"

"Well I feel a lot older. Every year on the job feels like five. What are you going to college for?"

"Writing. Why did you become a police officer?"

"Father was, and his father, and his father, you know how it is. My grandfather actually worked on the Boston Strangler case. I hope I never have to be in part of something so serious." The officer laughs.

"Yeah. Um, what's your name? I'm Daria."

"I'm Luke. Nice to meet you Daria. Might have been nicer to meet under other circumstances." Luke looks in the rearview mirror at Daria. "So how's the college life besides getting drunk at parties?"

"Mostly high school but more people and I pay them. I didn't mean to do this. I've never been away from home before and without my friends I don't know what to do. I've never done any thing like this before. I'll never do it again."

"That's a good decision Daria. I'd hate to have you in the back of the cruiser again. Hmm, if I give you my card you could call me the next time you have to walk somewhere." Luke pulls a card out of a pocket and holds it up. "With the cage in the way I'll have to wait."

"Ok, no problem. I'm not going any where." Daria continues to stare out the window as Luke drives to Raft.

Luke helps Daria out of the back. "Here's my card. Call me if you're ever in trouble. I may not be a Knight and horse but my car will get you any where you need." Luke smiles at Daria and gives her his card.

"And this time I might not ditch the Knight." Daria takes the card and puts it in her pocket. "Um, thanks Luke. I can make it back to my dorm room."

"Ok Daria. Maybe the next time I see you we will be under better circumstances." Luke gets back in his car and drives away.

Daria stumbles back towards her dorm building. She goes up the stairs to her dorm room to find it locked. "I can't find my keys. Lindsey?" Daria knocks on the door hard. "Lindsey are you there?" Daria knocks really hard. "No, Lindsey." Daria slumps against the door and slides down to the floor.

Daria wakes up an hour later when Lindsey is coming back with Skaz. "Oh Daria what are you doing out here?"

"I forgot my key."

"Oh well that was silly." Lindsey gets her key out and unlocks the door. "Well Skaz thanks for the movie and stuff." Lindsey kisses Skaz. "See you tomorrow to work on math homework?"

"Sure Lindsey." Skaz hugs Lindsey. "Make sure you take care of Daria. She looks like she had a rough night."

"Uhg." Daria is helped off the floor by Lindsey and led in.

**A/N Took me what, a year to update? I just needed a kick to get this part finished. Anyone who follows my other work will see a pattern. Drugs and alcohol always end badly. Skitz sent home and Daria acting like an idiot. But she smarten up and got away, for now. What will happen? Might be a long time to find out lol.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Real Friends

**Chapter 13: Real Friends**

Daria wakes up on the floor of her room. "What the hell happened?" Daria feels sick. "I drank too much. Uh, what did I do?" Daria's memory is cloudy. "I need to brush my teeth. I need a shower. I need a time machine." Daria gets off the floor and goes to the bathroom.

When Daria is done she goes out to the kitchen. "I can't believe I did that. And Mary she didn't care. What was I thinking?" Daria grabs a soda out of the mini fridge. "I wasn't thinking." She sits down in a lawn chair.

"Daria?" She turns and sees Lindsey. "Are you ok?"

"No. Thanks for letting me in last night. I don't know where my key is." Daria finds the remote and turns the television on.

"Last night nearly fifty college students were arrested. The Boston police say this was the largest DUI bust in over twenty years." Daria turns the television off.

"I'm glad we didn't go to any parties last night." Lindsey grabs a soda out of the fridge. "What did you do last night?"

"Uh, went to a party." Lindsey stares at Daria. "What?"

"And no one had to drag you to go?"

"No. What did you do last night if you didn't go to a party?"

"Well Skaz took me out to eat then a late movie and then we came back here but you looked really bad so we ended it there." Lindsey sits down next to Daria. "Did you have fun?"

"No. My head is killing me. My stomach hurts like hell. My eyes, are they bloodshot?" Daria looks at Lindsey.

"Yeah really bad. What the hell did you do Daria? You smelled like cheap booze and something else last night. I know I smelled it before but I can't remember what it was."

"Oh the marijuana." Lindsey gasps. "What?"

"You've been smoking marijuana? Daria that stuff is bad for you like really bad and it's illegal. If my mother ever caught me doing that she would have killed me. I could have ruined my chances at a scholarship."

"Didn't you say you did it before?"

"Well, yeah but that was back in my freshman year in high school. Why are you doing it now?" Daria rubs her temples.

"I never did anything before. I never drank or smoked or really partied before. But I over did it yesterday."

"Daria you still look like you got hit by a train." Daria grumbles. "And you have hickies on your neck!" Lindsey's squeal sends pain flying through Daria's head. "Was he cute? What did you do?"

"I don't know and I don't remember. I was wasted last night." Daria shakes her head. She never thought she'd do something like that before. She was always so responsible back at Lawndale. She always did what was right even if it took Jane or Tom a while to change her mind. But she wasn't in Lawndale any more. She was in Boston and Jane and Tom were not.

"Wow you must have been really blitzed if you didn't remember You have hickies all over your neck." Daria puts a hand on her neck.

"It wasn't like I wanted to. I was just drunk and stupid last night." Daria feels foolish but has to ask a question. "Do you have any makeup? I need to cover these up before I go out."

"Of course but don't you have any?" Daria shakes her head. "Run out?"

"No I just don't do this. I never do any thing like this. I won't do anything like this again." Daria leans into the chair. "I can't believe I did that last night."

"Do you really feel bad about what you did?" Daria nods. "Well um maybe next weekend you could come with Skaz and I to the beach. Tony said there would be a bon fire and stuff."

"Tony? And another party I'm not going."

"It's not a party it's just a few people from the art building and a couple others. Come on Daria just come with us and if you want to leave you can."

"You'd take me back?"

"Of course buddies go together and leave together." Daria thinks of Mary and what she went through last night.

"Maybe, thanks." Daria finishes her can of soda.

After getting something to eat Daria goes to Mary's dorm room. She knocks on the door and Amalia opens it. "Oh Daria, is Mary with you?"

"She didn't come home last night?"

"No. Weren't you with her?" Amalia steps away from the door to let Daria in. "Didn't you go to the party with her last night?"

"I did but I left early."

"Wasn't she your ride?" Daria nods. "Oh, nice hickies." Amalia laughs and Daria puts a hand on her neck.

"It's not like that. I got a ride back here from, um," Daria can't remember. "Someone. I was really drunk last night." Daria is a little worried about Mary.

"And I bet Mary was even worse. She probably met some guy and staid with him." Daria feels better.

"Yeah she did buy some um, things." Daria blushes.

"Well hell nice to see you cared enough to check on her. I was thinking about asking you about Mary but I don't know where your dorm is."

"Uh just down one floor and uh, 217." Daria smells the fumes. "This place reminds me of my friend Jane's room. She was always painting or sculpting something in her room."

"She sounds cool where she at?" Amalia goes back to a painting she had been working on.

"Lawndale but she'll be going to BFAC starting this winter." Daria looks at the painting and reminded her even more of Jane. "And I think you already saw her." The painting was of Jane, Andrea, and several other women standing around a single blooming flower.

"Really? Which one is she?" Daria points Jane out.

"Oh. I saw her holding hands with, this one." Amalia points out Andrea.

"Yeah they're good friends. Jane is amazing with some of her stuff. Or when she had to make some money she did copies of artists and sold them at a gallery who sold copies. She was pretty good at that but she burnt out."

"I tried that. I tried to change my styles to something people would buy but I just couldn't do it." Daria takes a second look at the painting.

"This looks amazing why wouldn't someone buy this?" Amalia laughs a little.

"It's not done. You really like it as it is?" Daria nods. "Well I was going to add some skeletal demons growing out of the flower. And some blood here and there." Amalia turns her head and looks at the painting again.

"Why? It looks great now."

"But I can make it look better!" Amalia grabs a paint brush with some red on it and flicks it at the canvas. "Now it looks like blood is raining on them."

"Uh, yes it does. I'm going to uh, go now. Have Mary call me when she gets back here." Daria leaves the dorm room and quickly goes back to hers.

It is late in the evening and Mary hadn't called. "I better check on her." Daria goes back to Mary's dorm room.

Daria knocks on the door. Amalia answers. "Oh hey Daria come in." Daria goes in and doesn't see Mary.

"Um, is Mary here?"

"About that." Amalia goes to the phone and picks up a piece of paper. "You wouldn't happen to have about five thousand in bail money would you?" Amalia hands the paper to Daria.

"Wait, she, oh no." Mary had been arrested for DUI and possession of a controlled substance. "I don't. I should have never left her there."

"It's not your fault. You weren't even driving. You probably would have gotten busted too if you had ridden with her." Amalia takes the paper back.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry I can't help." _Wait I do have some money. But I'm not wasting it on bail._

"She called me instead of her mom begging for money. Like I have money. I'm a starving artist who needs to starve a little more." Amalia pats her stomach.

"Well um, I could maybe if we pooled our money together or something. What happens if she stays in jail?"

"It's just local for now. But um they say it's pretty serious. Since it was on the news the police are trying to make an example. They had some Luke guy on talking about it."

"Um I, that's bad. Maybe tomorrow we could do something?"

"Unless you have five thousand dollars we can't do much." Daria agrees but doesn't want to leave Mary in jail. Daria reaches in to her pocket and pulls a card out.

"I might be able to get some help. Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." Daria picks up the phone and dials the number on the card.

"Luke Benton speaking may I ask who is calling?"

"Um, Luke this is Daria, from last night." Daria hopes he remembered her. Until Amalia mentioned him she didn't remember him.

"Oh hi Daria need any help? I'm a little busy right now with paperwork and processing but I could send someone out."

"No it's not me who is in trouble. One of my friends is. Um, you might have met her already." Daria hears some noises. "If you're busy I could call back but I'm worried about my friend."

"Her name?"

"Mary, uh, I don't know her last name. She was driving a blue car last night. She wore a blue top and uh, I can't remember what else." Daria feels stupid. "Um, let me ask her roommate what her last name is." Daria looks over at Amalia.

"Turismo. Mary Turismo."

"Turismo. Um, I heard it was five thousand dollars for her bail. But we don't know any one with that much money." Daria hears paper moving. "I don't know if there is anything you can do Luke."

"Turismo, Mary. Eighteen years old and being held on a DUI charge and possession of a controlled substance. Those are both serious charges. I don't know what you think I can do Daria." Daria tries to think.

"Um, I mean, I don't want the charges dropped. Well if that could happen that would be great."

"Not going to happen."

"Then any way to lower the bail? Does she have to stay in jail? Is she really a flight risk or something? I'm sorry to be asking you this but she's my friend and I don't know how to help her."

"Well she's probably not a flight risk. And we have her address at the college and home. I'll see about lowering the bail. Are you going to be at this number for say, an hour?"

"Um, I guess I could stick here for an hour." Daria looks at Amalia who nods.

"Ok. I have some other things to do first but I'll see if I can help you Daria. Talk to you in about an hour."

"Ok, um, thank you Luke. Bye."

"Bye." They hang up.

Daria watches television while waiting for Luke to call her back. "Amalia how much do you have to spare?"

"I might be able to put up two hundred. Three hundred if I don't eat for the rest of the month."

"Mary can pay for food or pay you back until the court date."

"Wait we have to wait until court to get the money back? Are you sure Daria?"

"My mom is a lawyer. Mostly corporate but I know stuff. And the court date could be a long way off. Unless she pleads guilty then it might speed up the process but depending on a plea deal who knows what will happen."

"Bummer. I might lose a roommate." Daria perks up.

"Then maybe I could move in and away from Lindsey." Amalia laughs.

"If you can stand the smell of paint and thinner sure. Might be nice having a friend with police connections." Amalia laughs again.

"He's not a connection just someone who helped me out last night." Amalia looks at Daria's neck.

"Did he leave those?" Daria covers her hickies.

"No! Stop talking about them."

"If you want I have some makeup to cover that up with."

"Um, thanks. Sorry I yelled about it." Daria takes a second look at Amalia. With the paint brush in her hand Amalia reminds her of Jane. "Where is it?"

"In the bathroom." Daria goes to the bathroom and is lost.

Daria picks up a tube of makeup. "Not cover up, I think." Daria goes through until she finds what she thinks is the right makeup.

Daria is watching Amalia work on her painting when the phone rings. "Daria it's probably your friend."

"Luke is just someone I met last night not a friend." Daria picks up the phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Daria?" Daria recognizes the voice.

"Yes, Luke do you have any thing?"

"Well since your friend isn't a flight risk her bail was lowered to five hundred dollars. But if you want some advice I'd talk to her about a plea deal."

"What's the going rate? My mom is a lawyer I might want to talk to her when Mary is out of the big house." Luke laughs.

"Big house? The station is smaller then the lawyer building next to us. But from what I've heard most of the deals for the people arrested last night have been settling for suspended licenses and community service. But nothing is final until we talk to the people actually arrested and not the lawyers next to us."

"Well I'll um, talk to her later about it."

"How about you call your mom and tell her what happened. Then you can come here and bail your friend out."

"Oh we have to um, go there to get her? Can't just send a check in?"

"No you have to drop the bail money off in person. There is some paper work that needs to be filled out. And her car has been impounded with her license taken due to the DUI." Daria sighs.

"What time should we be there?"

"We?"

"Her roommate is helping with half."

"Be here before midnight or wait until tomorrow."

"We'll be there in um, an hour or so. Not sure how to get there."

"Oh Daria have any thing to write with? I'll give you the address."

"Amalia do you have a pen?" Amalia gets one out of her art supplies and hands it to Daria. "Um, the address?"

"621 North Howard…" Daria writes down the address.

Daria and Amalia have to stop at an ATM machine before going to the police station. "Thanks Daria. There is no way I would have ever been able to afford the bail for her."

"Neither one of us should be doing this. If she hadn't tried to drive after the party they probably would have just driven her back to Raft like they did with me."

"How did that happen? How did you meet uh, Luke?"

"I wanted to leave and Mary didn't. So I started walking." Amalia gives Daria a stare. "What?"

"Wasn't it like thirty miles away?"

"Yes, yes it was. But I was so off I didn't care. They picked me up and threatened me with public intoxication but Luke took me back to Raft. It was stupid at the time but it probably kept me out of jail." Daria makes a turn. "Where were you last night?"

"Enjoying an empty dorm room with a couple of friends." Amalia rubs her right thigh. "Damn near hurt myself."

"Sounds like fun." Daria takes another turn. "Do you think we're there yet?" Daria looks for a street sign.

"If we were there we wouldn't be driving." Daria almost smiles at Amalia's sarcasm. "Is that Howard Road?"

"Yeah. But we're like eight miles away. Are we supposed to turn left or right?" Daria stops at the intersection.

"Um, right I think. We should have printed out the directions." Daria turns right and goes down the street.

A few miles later the street goes from houses to businesses. "There it is." Amalia points out the station.

Daria turns in to the parking lot and gets out. "I'll sign the paper work and stuff. Just make sure Mary is ok." Daria and Amalia go in to the station.

Luke helps Daria with paper work. "Well that should be it. I would say nice seeing you again but we're in just about as bad a situation as last time." Luke hands Daria a piece of paper. "Your receipt."

"Um, thank you again. I must be a bit of um, a hassle for you." Daria puts the receipt away.

"It's ok Daria. I went to the Academy to be a public servant and you are the public. But maybe next time we see each other it will be under a lot better circumstances." Luke reaches across his desk and shakes Daria's hand. "Always nice to see you but I have lots of work to get through. Your friend should be processed in about an hour or so."

"Thank you again Luke. I never thought I'd be doing something like this again." Daria rubs her temples as she feels a headache come.

"Again?"

"Friends of mine had to get bailed out after a speeding ticket when they were out of state." Daria stands up. "And if we see each other again it has to be better then the last two times."

"I hope so." Luke gets back to his paper work as Daria walks away.

Mary is released several minutes later and sees Amalia and Daria. "Thank you!" She hugs Amalia then Daria. "I can't believe it. When they told me I made bail I was stunned. How did you get five thousand dollars?"

"It was only five thousand? The police told us it was twenty thousand!" Amalia acts shocked.

"But, they just took fifteen thousand of my mom's money." Daria plays along with Amalia.

"I'm so sorry! We need to tell them that there was a mistake! I'm so sorry they took your mom's money." Amalia starts to laugh.

"We're kidding Mary. Daria knew one of the officers and he got your bail reduced to five hundred." Amalia hugs Mary again. "Are you sure you're ok? If Daria hadn't come over worried about you you'd probably still be in jail." Mary looks at Daria as tears build.

"You were worried about me? Even after I blew you off? I'm so sorry I did that." Daria shakes her head.

"If you went with me we'd both be in jail. And I wouldn't have met Luke who wouldn't have gotten your bail reduced." Mary wipes her eyes.

"Thank you Daria. I treated you bad and you like went through all this to get me out."

"I um, yeah. You're my friend."

"You're one hell of a friend Daria." Amalia pats her on he back.

"You're a real friend." Mary hugs Daria hard.

Back at Mary and Amalia's Daria uses their phone to call her mother. "Mom? Are you busy?"

"Daria is every thing ok?"

"Yes mom. Well, one of my friends is in trouble." Daria hears something in the back round.

"What happened? Some one get caught buying alcohol underage? Why back in my day your father had a friend who bought for a party and was caught but this was in the sixties."

"No mom. Last night there was a party. One of my friends was there and um got in trouble for driving while drunk and uh, had something on her." Daria looks up at Mary.

"What something?"

"Mary what was it?"

"Marijuana."

"Um, marijuana." Daria hears Helen write. "We just got her out on bail. An officer said most of the people who got in trouble last night were pleading guilty and getting their license suspended and community service."

"That actually sounds like a good deal. Tell your friend that they should take the deal. But see how many hours she'll serve and how long her license will be suspended. If anything you might get the times shortened."

"Um, thanks mom."

"For what?"

"For helping me. For helping my friend."

"Well tell your friend they need to be very careful from now on. And Daria,"

"Yes mom?"

"I'm glad you made a new friend. I'm glad you're responsible enough to help your friend out of a tough situation. But be careful Daria."

"Why mom?"

"If you had been in the car at the time you would be just as guilty for possessing the marijuana. I know I told you to make new friends but I don't want you making bad ones."

"She's not bad she just made a mistake." Daria looks at Mary. "She won't make it again."

"I hope not. Daria please be careful. College can be rough and hard. I went through years of it to become a lawyer. I partied and went crazy but I always kept my head in a book."

"I didn't do it."

"I know you didn't Daria. You're too smart to be out drinking and smoking." Daria feels pangs of guilt. "But your friend can get you in trouble with out you doing any thing wrong."

"I, I know mom. Um I have to go. Thank you mom."

"Ok Daria. Bye and make sure you don't end up like your friend."

"Bye mom." They hang up.

"Well, what did she say?"

"Take the plea deal. You'll lose your license and have to do community service but you won't spend any time in jail."

"Ok, I can do that."

"And promise you won't go to any parties or do drugs."

"Um, ok I promise if you do."

"I already gave it up after what I did last night." Mary now notices the hickies on Daria's neck.

"It looks like you had fun though. Who left those hickies on your neck?" Daria covers them with a hand.

"None of your business." Daria goes to the door. "I need to go. But when you do what ever I need to go with you to collect the bail money back."

"We need to go since half of that is mine." Mary hugs Amalia again.

"Thank you two so much."

"Just make sure you don't do anything else ok? I'm tired and need some sleep." Daria rubs her temples as the head ache pounds on her skull.

"But it's not even five."

"I don't care Mary my head is killing me and I didn't get much last night." Daria leaves the dorm room and goes to her dorm room.


End file.
